Water is believed to be made up of tightly bonded hydrogen and oxygen atoms, making it purer than other liquids. On the other hand, water treatment should coexist with raw materials, rocks, pesticides, and synthetic poisons, all of which may be found all over the globe. It is unsafe to drink the solution as it may contain toxic viruses, bacteria, and other disease-causing organisms. Thankfully, good has triumphed against evil.
The operating business mandates that Finder Water’s water supply satisfy the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG) of the Health and Care Professions Council. Many methods to treat water exist based on the facility technology and the kind of water to be treated, but the basic principles remain the same.
What does it mean to treat water?
Water treatment refers to any technique used to improve the consistency of water so that it is appropriate for a particular end purpose. It’s feasible to safely restore the area’s drinking water supply, agricultural water storage, sanitation, river flow management, and water enjoyment. Toxin removal or inactivation of potentially harmful bacteria from freshwater is required for water supply production to offer water that is safe for human consumption without the risk of harming the user’s health in the short or long term.
This may be accomplished in seven different ways:
1. Coagulation / Flocculation:
When raw or untreated water is mixed with liquid aluminium sulphate, an alkali, or polymer in the process known as flocculation, the result is coagulation. As a consequence of the combination, dirt particles in the water coagulate (or bind together). Once the dirt particles have adhered to one another, they form flocs, which may be readily removed by filtering or settlement.
2. Sedimentation:
Water and flocs are processed at sedimentation basins, where they are dumped. Because the water moves slowly, the large floc particles end up on the floor. When waste builds up in a container, it is known as sludge. The drying lagoons are where the procedure is carried out. Direct filtration omits the sedimentation step and removes the floc entirely via filtering.
3. Filtration
Filtration is the technique of removing particles from water by passing them through a filter. Gravel and sand are often used as filter materials, although crushed anthracite may also be used. For enhancing disinfection effectiveness, filters remove dissolved contaminants from water. Filters are disinfected regularly using backwashing.
4. Disinfection:
For eliminating bacteria, fungus, and viruses that cause illness, water is purified before entering the delivery chain. Chlorine is used due to its high level of safety.
5. Sludge Drying:
For soaking and eliminating particles from water, sludge is utilised in drying wetlands. This sludge may then be used to dry other wetlands.
6. Fluoridation:
For minimising dental cavities, fluoridation involves adding fluoride ions to municipal water supplies to raise the concentration of free fluoride ions. Hunter Water is obliged to fluoridate the water to meet the requirements of the NSW Fluoridation of Public Water Supplies Act 1957.
7. pH Correction:
Lime is added to filtered water for pH correction. As a result, naturally soft water is stabilised even further, preventing corrosion in water delivery systems and plumbing for end users.
The benefits include:
- The removal of 97 percent of suspended particles.
- Biological nitrification may take place without using chemicals.
- Toxic gas production has been stopped.
- Biological phosphorus replenishment Solids and liquids are separated, and organics are eliminated.
- It’s affordable: A simple mechanical operation that requires little upkeep.
Treatment methods for drinking water at home
- Domestic treatment systems fall into two categories: point-of-use and point-of-entry.
- Domestic water treatment systems come in a variety of shapes and sizes.
- Filtration, water softening, distillation, disinfection, and other such technologies are available.
Over 200 million litres of treated drinking water are delivered daily by people. Water has become a life of every individual’s lifestyle, so the least we can do is make sure we use it the way it was intended to be used!