All living creatures need water for survival. The human body is composed of 60% water, but you keep losing water every day through sweating and other natural processes. That is why health experts advise individuals to take sufficient water daily. You need to ensure that you are consuming clean and purified water to prevent infections and diseases. Water purification is an important process that removes undesired chemicals, biological contaminants, suspended particles, viruses, fungi, bacteria, and parasitic compounds from water. The main function of water purification is to ensure the supply of clean drinking water. In addition, water purification enables medical, chemical, pharmacological, and industrial sectors to meet clean and potable water needs. Water purification can be done on a large or small scale. Here are the steps that take place during water purification.
Pre-treatment
Pre-treatment is the first step of the water treatment process. A pumping system pumps raw water from the lakes, rivers, or other sources to the water purification plant. The water passes through screens that exclude large debris, fish, branches, and weeds. However, groundwater may not pass through the screening process. What’s more, the treatment plant may aerate the water during screening to increase its oxygen levels. Increased oxygen content helps to eliminate bad odors and tastes from the water.
Coagulation and Flocculation
Water is usually cloudy or turbid due to the small particles in it. Coagulation and flocculation get rid of all small particles in the water. Turbid water is hard to disinfect; that is why this process is crucial. During this process, water is agitated rapidly to scatter coagulated compounds. The small particles will then form floccules. The flocculation process enables precipitation of the clumps when water is stirred.
Sedimentation
The water and floccules enter the basins, where the flocs settle at the bottom and are removed. The process removes approximately 90% of the suspended compounds, including the large particles, but it does not eliminate all bacteria.
Filtration
The filtration process eliminates up to 99.5 % of the remaining solid materials in the water, including microbes and minerals. Water passes through a multilayer medium like anthracite calcium or quartz sand to remove the solids.
Disinfection
Disinfecting the water kills bacteria and other disease-bearing organisms. Most purification plants use chlorine compounds when disinfecting water. Chlorine has been the most common chemical for disinfection, but ozone gas and ultraviolet radiation have recently become popular. The reason is that chlorine is expensive, and studies show that it has toxic substances that affect humans and fish. What’s more, some microbes, including giardia, are resistant to chlorine. Having your home purifier from thewatermachine.com helps get rid of the chlorine before you use it in the house.
Corrosion and Scale Control
The water pH is adjusted to prevent it from corroding or depositing excess scale in pipes. Though small quantities of scales help pipe function properly, excessive amounts can damage plumbing systems. However, corrosion is undesirable since it causes leaks and releases metals like lead in the water, affecting human health.
Taste and Odor Control
Even though tastes and odors from algae are not dangerous to your health, they may be unpleasant. Additional chemical treatment and ozonation help to eliminate these tastes and odors in water. Fluoride may also be added to water at this stage to promote dental health.
Conclusion
The water purification process does not only remove contaminants from water but also improves its taste and odor. Through the process, communities can access safe and clean drinking water and prevent the spread of diseases.
