How is
drinking water treated?
When a water supplier takes untreated water from a river or reservoir,
the water often contains dirt and tiny pieces of leaves and other organic
matter, as well as trace amounts of certain contaminants. When it gets
to the treatment plant, water suppliers often add chemicals called coagulants
to the water. These act on the water as it flows very slowly through
tanks so that the dirt and other contaminants form clumps that settle
to the bottom. Usually, this water then flows through a filter for removal
of the smallest contaminants like viruses and Giardia.
Ground water is naturally filtered as it passes through layers of the
earth into underground reservoirs known as aquifers. Water that suppliers
pump from wells generally contains less organic material than surface
water and may not need to go through any or all of the treatments described
in the previous paragraph. The quality of the water will depend on local
conditions.
The most common drinking water treatment, considered by many to be one
of the most important scientific advances of the 20th century, is disinfection.
Most water suppliers add chlorine or another disinfectant to kill bacteria
and other germs.
Water suppliers use other treatments as needed, according to the quality
of their source water. For example, systems whose water is contaminated
with organic chemicals can treat their water with activated carbon, which
adsorbs or attracts the chemicals dissolved in the water.
For more information
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