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Basic Steps Of Water Treatment

Seven simple steps can make water potable, these steps are- Preliminary Treatment, Coagulation, Flocculation, Clarification, Softening and Stabilization, Filtration, Fluoridation and Disinfection. Here we will focus on brief description of all these steps.

Preliminary treatment treats water physically, chemically and mechanically. In physical treatment it removes particles like rocks, stones, wastes from water. Chemical treatment includes adding some chemicals in water to inactivate algae and their multiplication. Mechanical treatment means separating sand, grit by pre-sedimentation.

Next comes coagulation process which eliminates microbes, silt and other suspended particles from water. In this process, a chemical like alum is mixed properly in water. The particles of alum make a bond with salts, microbes and suspended particles present in water to make a heavy particle called as floc.

Now comes flocculation, in this process the floc settles down at the bottom of the tank. The water is finally passed across a screen having very fine net to remove all the left floc.

Clarification is also known as Sedimentation. It allows water to sit in a large basin long enough for the removal of small particles left out by flocculation filtering. As the water sits undisturbed, these particles slowly begin to settle at the bottom of the basin. The particles settle into the sludge of sediment and allow water to be drained above the sludge line. The sediment is then scraped from the bottom of the basin.

Hardness is caused due to presence of extra minerals (calcium and magnesium) in water. This hard water causes different problems in pipes and wastes a lot of soap, detergent along with water. In contrast water becomes too soft due to lack of required minerals. Extra softness of water causes corrosion in pipes. In short, mineral level in water should be balanced. By Softening and stabilization stage we can have balanced level of minerals in water.

A final filtration stage occurs in order to remove any additional sediment that is still present in water. A fine screen is used during filtration for removal of tiny particles, microorganisms and any other contaminant that is left out during early stages. After this step, you will get highly purified water.

Fluoridation is a low-priced process for reducing teeth decay. Water sometimes creates problems in your teeth. By adding fluoride (F-) in water you can get relief from this problem. It is available in powder form and as a solution also. For killing all the germs, pathogens, disinfection process is used. Chlorine is an effective disinfectant. Water is now perfectly ready for drinking purpose.

Article Source: GardenGap.com

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