composition of water
When the tap is turned on, clean, tasty water comes out. It goes through different purification steps before flowing from the faucets.
Drinking water is made up of water molecules as well as a wide range of substances. It has different properties, one of which is that it can easily dissolve other substances. Whenever it rains, the water that falls to the ground dissolves particles, substances and gases such as oxygen, present in the atmosphere. Rainwater also dissolves pollutants seen in the air. Surface water flowing over the ground dissolves many different substances, such as microorganisms, minerals, organic matter, and sand particles. When it settles in the ground, it becomes groundwater. Here it comes into contact with rocks and soil, which causes it to have large amounts of dissolved minerals. Agricultural and industrial waste, as well as sewage discharge, are human activities that allow contaminants to enter the water.
The ability to clean itself
Water has the ability to clean itself. During biological processes, contaminants are removed from the water. By the time the water sits on the ground, the soil layers cause seepage. Contaminants are broken down or left in the soil layer. However, the self-cleaning capacity of the water is not sufficient to generate clean drinking water. This is due to agricultural and industrial contaminants that have entered and accumulated in surface and groundwater over several decades. During the 1970s, industrial and sewage discharges were found to cause water pollution. Immediately after this was discovered, steps were taken to prevent contamination of the water. Before wastewater can be discharged, it must comply with legal regulations. This can only happen if the water is purified.
Despite all the measures that are followed, the water still needs to be treated before it can be drinkable.
During the water purification process, wastewater is treated to make it drinkable water, which complies with legal regulations in terms of its physical, chemical and bacteriological aspect. This means that it is tasteless and odorless, shiny and last but not least, it is chemically stable or non-corrosive.
The basics of the surface water treatment process include the following stages:
Coagulation
At this stage, chemicals such as alum are incorporated into the water. Suspended particles stick to chemicals to form “flocs.”
Sedimentation
When the particles get stuck, they add too much weight and fall to the bottom of the chamber. This is the stage where most of them get stuck and become sediment that comes down to the surface. Then the water passes into the chamber.
Filtration
As the water passes through the chamber, the finer particles or sediments filter out over layers of gravel, sand, and coal.
disinfection
Chlorine and other disinfection methods are used to kill other living organisms such as bacteria that may be present in the water. It is normal and regular for water to have living organisms. The water goes to large storage tanks and remains there to finish the disinfection process. At the end of the storage tanks, huge pipes are attached so that the water can be transported to homes and offices.
