When you turn on the shower or fill a cup from the faucet, you are enjoying water that’s been treated for pathogens and contamination — in other words, you’re enjoying potable water. What is potable water and how is potable water treated? This term refers to drinkable water that has no discernible difference in taste, color, or smell, and it’s an important metric of quality for water treatment plants. In order to make wastewater potable, it must be processed rigorously to decontaminate it. Find out how this process is completed and how potable water is produced.
Coagulation
Coagulation is the first major step in converting wastewater to potable water. This part of the treatment process involves the introduction of chemicals that will neutralize the positive and negative forces in the wastewater’s solid particles. This allows the particles to clump together and float to the top of the processing tank. This is called floc, and it will be removed at a later step. Particles that do not float to the top may sink to the bottom of the tank instead, where they will form sludge. In some cases, the excessive addition of coagulation chemicals may lead to the overproduction of sludge.
Sedimentation
Once the solid particles in wastewater have been allowed to clump together and form floc, they will sink to the bottom of the sedimentation tank and be removed. This step of the process is also sometimes called clarification, and it involves passing the clearer water over a weir so that the water can be further filtered. Gravity naturally allows sedimentation to occur, but the process may be further aided by the addition of chemicals that thicken flocculated particles. This part of the process is called thickening, and it may be used to encourage sedimentation to occur faster.
Filtration
Even after sedimented particles have been removed from the wastewater, there will still typically be some small particles present. In order to remove this lingering matter, the wastewater must be further filtered using a material that only allows water to pass through. Many wastewater treatment plants utilize special paper or sand to accomplish this. At this point, once the wastewater has passed through the filter, it should be free from any particulate contamination. If any particles were to remain, it could potentially harm citizens and lead to a water treatment insurance issue.
Disinfection
Disinfection is the final and most important step in the process of creating potable water. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, it can be done using a combination of different methods, including the addition of chemicals such as chlorine or iodine. Alternately, the water may be subject to UV radiation. After disinfection has been completed, the water should be potable.
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