The invention provides metal-silica polymeric flocculants having high
coagulation performance which are used for water treatment, particularly
to remove suspended materials and other impurities from irrigation water,
waste water or the like. A silica sol having a SiO.sub.2 concentration of
from 100 to 200 g/L and a viscosity of less than 6 cp is prepared by
colliding an inorganic acid aqueous solution with a silicate aqueous
solution at each rate of 5 m/sec or more. The silica sol is aged to make
an aged silica sol having a viscosity of 6 to 30 cp, and the aged silica
sol is mixed with a water-soluble metal salt such as ferric chloride, to
prepare the flocculants.