
What are the steps in the water treatment process?
The water treatment process to deliver safe and wholesome water to customers includes many steps. Coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection are the water treatment processes that make up a conventional surface water treatment plant.
How many years of water treatment equipment experience do you have?
27 Year Of Water Treatment Equipment Experience. I have been blessed with the opportunity to learn from the ground up. Starting in the water treatment field as a service technician. Servicing all major brands of water treatment equipment.
How long does it take to treat stormwater?
Stormwater, although it can carry with it debris, requires less treatment than sanitary wastewater, so the process for treatment is shorter. The process, once you flush your toilet, drain the washing machine, take a shower or drain the bath, takes from a half day to one day to complete.
How does a water treatment work?
At some water treatment works we also use extra methods to remove invisible and dissolved particles from the water, such as ozone, carbon and ion exchange. These methods create chemical reactions in the water and remove fine particles. 5. Final treatment

What are the 5 stages of water treatment?
Public water systems often use a series of water treatment steps that include coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection.
How long does water treatment last?
Quality of your water treatment system. Some water systems are designed with quality in mind. These systems will last from 15 to 25 years. Others, which are designed with low upfront cost in mind, will last from 5 to 15 years.
What are the 3 stages of water treatment?
There are three main stages of the wastewater treatment process, aptly known as primary, secondary and tertiary water treatment.
What are the 4 steps of water treatment?
4 Steps of Community Water TreatmentCoagulation and Flocculation. ... Sedimentation. ... Filtration. ... Disinfection.
How much does it cost to install a filtration system?
A home water filtration system costs about $2,051 for the unit and installation. On the low end, expect to pay $1000; on the high end, you could spend $3,100 or more. Alternatively, you can opt for an under-sink filtration system. These point-of-use units are easy to install yourself and cost about $150 to $1,200.
Is a water filtration system worth it?
A thorough whole house filter can waste much water and money. The removal of chlorine and sediments is already enough for showering, washing and other purposes. There's no need for a thorough process for these. On the other hand, a dedicated under the sink filter can provide the pure drinking water you need.
Where does the water go once it is treated?
The treated wastewater is released into local waterways where it's used again for any number of purposes, such as supplying drinking water, irrigating crops, and sustaining aquatic life.
Is the water drinkable after it has been treated?
After treatment, the water is added to the reservoirs. NEWater, which has passed more than 65,000 scientific tests and surpasses World Health Organization drinking water standards, is clean enough to be used for the electronics industry and to be bottled as drinking water.
What is water treatment process?
Water treatment is any process that improves the quality of water to make it appropriate for a specific end-use. The end use may be drinking, industrial water supply, irrigation, river flow maintenance, water recreation or many other uses, including being safely returned to the environment.
What are the 7 stages of water treatment?
They typically consist of several steps in the treatment process. These include: (1) Collection ; (2) Screening and Straining ; (3) Chemical Addition ; (4) Coagulation and Flocculation ; (5) Sedimentation and Clarification ; (6) Filtration ; (7) Disinfection ; (8) Storage ; (9) and finally Distribution.
Can you drink rain water?
Rainwater that falls in heavily polluted areas or comes into contact with contaminants, such as animal feces or heavy metals, may not be appropriate for human consumption ( 2 ). Thus, it's not advisable to start collecting and drinking rainwater unless you're 100% certain it's clean and safe for human consumption.
What are the 7 methods of water treatment?
Top 7 Methods of Water TreatmentCoagulation / Flocculation. Coagulation is adding liquid aluminum sulfate or alum and/or polymer to raw or untreated water. ... Sedimentation. When water and flocs undergo the treatment process, they go into sedimentation basins. ... Filtration. ... Disinfection. ... Sludge Drying. ... Fluoridation. ... pH Correction.
What is water treatment?
The water treatment process to deliver safe and wholesome water to customers includes many steps. Coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection are the water treatment processes that make up a conventional surface water treatment plant. These water treatment processes ensure that the water consumers receive is safe ...
How does surface water treatment work?
In order to meet the requirements of the Surface Water Treatment Rule, a water system must both remove and inactivate the pathogens in the water. This process begins with coagulation, which destabilizes the particles in the water. Then, during flocculation, the destabilized particles bump into each other and form larger and larger flocs. These large flocs are given adequate time to settle out of solution via gravity during sedimentation. Any remaining particles and pathogens will be removed during the filtration treatment process. Finally, the water is disinfected to inactivate any remaining pathogens prior to entering the water system’s distribution system.
What is coagulation in water treatment?
History of Coagulation in Drinking Water Treatment. Coagulation has been an important process in high-rate filtration plants in the United States since the 1880s. Aluminum and iron salts have been used in the coagulation process since the beginning. These salts are still the most commonly used coagulants today.
What is turbidity in water?
This cloudiness is known as turbidity . Visual turbidity is unpleasant to consumers. Visual turbidity is also an indicator to operators and regulators that the water may still contain pathogens. The Surface Water Treatment Rule therefore requires that turbidity be removed to very low levels.
How does contact time work in water treatment?
In order for systems to be sure that they are properly disinfecting the filtered water, the Surface Water Treatment Rule requires systems to provide enough contact time. Contact time (CT) is a function of the known disinfection concentration and the amount of time that the disinfectant is in contact with the water. Contact time is expressed in terms of mg/L-min. The EPA has published tables that show how much CT credit water systems will receive. In order to use these tables you use the concentration of chlorine, time, water temperature and pH.
What is the process of coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, and filtration?
The water treatment process of coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, and filtration remove the pathogens. The disinfection water treatment process inactivates them. The small particles in water may consist of silt and clay, color bodies, precipitated iron or manganese oxides, and even bacteria and algae. Together, these particles make the water ...
When do you need to ripen a water filter?
A filter must be ripened when it is first placed into service or following a backwash. If the filter media is too clean, and the pore spaces between the sand grains and the anthracite coal too large, there are chances for particulates to pass right through the filter. The pore spaces decrease and the filter is better at removing the particulates as more water is filtered and more particles are captured. Until the filter is ripened, the water produced by it may not meet the necessary turbidity requirements. Systems must be equipped with the ability to pump this non compliant water to waste without it entering the distribution system.
How long does water last in a reservoir?
Some of our reservoirs have enough water to last parts of the region for 90 days. Storing the water in reservoirs starts the natural clean-up process, as heavier particles settle to the bottom, meaning we don’t have to take them out.
Why do we store water in reservoirs?
We store the water in reservoirs for two reasons: So that we have a store or reserve of water, so if it hasn’t rained for a while or we can’t pump as much water from the rivers or groundwater sources, we have water available to put through the treatment process. Some of our reservoirs have enough water to last parts of the region for 90 days.
How long does it take for a water filter to clean?
This usually takes three to five hours. Then, the settled water receives ozone for primary disinfection. Next the water is filtered where a majority of the remaining particles are removed. Additional chemical treatment happens next.
How is water from the Tar River pumped?
Water from the Tar River is pumped into the 63-million-gallon impoundment basin where it stays for five days while solids settle to the bottom and are removed. A coagulant (chemical to help solids come together so they can more easily be removed) is then added and the water goes through a series of mixers called flocculators. This takes 30-45 minutes and prepares the water for the stilling wall, which allows the water to pass into the settling basins. The process slows down at this point. A majority (up to 95%) of the floc – the heavy particles – settles to the bottom, leaving the cleaner water at the top. This usually takes three to five hours. Then, the settled water receives ozone for primary disinfection.
What are the steps of water treatment?
5 Steps of Water Treatment 1 Coagulation/flocculation: Raw water from terminal reservoirs is drawn into mixing basins at our treatment plants where we add alum, polymer and sometimes lime and carbon dioxide. This process causes small particles to stick to one another, forming larger particles. 2 Sedimentation: Over time, the now-larger particles become heavy enough to settle to the bottom of a basin from which sediment is removed. 3 Filtration: The water is then filtered through layers of fine, granulated materials — either sand, or sand and coal, depending on the treatment plant. As smaller, suspended particles are removed, turbidity diminishes and clear water emerges. 4 Disinfection: To protect against any bacteria, viruses and other microbes that might remain, disinfectant is added before the water flows into underground reservoirs throughout the distribution system and into your home or business. Denver Water carefully monitors the amount of disinfectant added to maintain quality of the water at the farthest reaches of the system. Fluoride occurs naturally in our water but also is added to treated water. 5 Corrosion control: pH is maintained by adding alkaline substances to reduce corrosion in the distribution system and the plumbing in your home or business.
What is added to water to protect against viruses?
Disinfect ion: To protect against any bacteria, viruses and other microbes that might remain, disinfectant is added before the water flows into underground reservoirs throughout the distribution system and into your home or business.
What is water treatment?
Water treatment is the process of removing all those substances, whether biological, chemical, or physical, that are potentially harmful to the water supply for human and domestic use. This treatment helps to produce water that is safe, palatable, clear, colorless, and odorless. Water also needs to be non-corrosive, meaning it will not cause damage to pipework.
What is the process of separating solids from liquids?
Filtration is the process where solids are separated from a liquid. In water treatment, the solids that are not separated in the sedimentation tank are removed by passing the water through sand and gravel beds. With a flow rate of 4–8 cubic meters per square meter of filter surface per hour, rapid gravity filters are often used.
How does aerated water work?
After screening, the water is aerated (supplied with air) by passing it over a series of steps to take in oxygen from the air. This process helps in expelling soluble gases such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide (both of which are acidic, so this process makes the water less corrosive) and expels any gas eous organic compounds an undesirable taste to the water. Aeration also removes iron or manganese by oxidation of these substances to their insoluble form. Iron and manganese can cause peculiar tastes and can stain clothing. Once in their insoluble forms, these substances can be removed by filtration.
What happens after aeration?
After aeration, coagulation occurs to remove the fine particles (less than 1 µm in size) suspended in the water . In this process, a chemical called a coagulant (with a positive electrical charge) is added to the water, which neutralizes the fine particles' negative electrical charge. The coagulant's addition takes place in a rapid mix tank where a high-speed impeller rapidly disperses the coagulant.
How long does it take to drain a toilet?
The process, once you flush your toilet, drain the washing machine, take a shower or drain the bath, takes from a half day to one day to complete. From your house, the wastewater travels underground and is pulled by gravity through a pipe sized from 8 to 24 inches laid at a pitch, moving at a speed of 2 to 10 feet per second.
What are the two types of wastewater?
Two categories of wastewater are directed to the facility in two different pipes: sanitary sewer wastewater and storm sewer wastewater. Stormwater, although it can carry with it debris, requires less treatment than sanitary wastewater, so the process for treatment is shorter. The process, once you flush your toilet, drain the washing machine, ...

Coagulation
- Flocculation follows the coagulation step. Flocculation is the gentle mixing of the water to form larger, heavier particles called flocs. Often, water treatment plants will add additional chemicals during this step to help the flocs form.
Flocculation
Sedimentation
Filtration
Disinfection
Chlorination Operations
- Following the coagulant chemical addition and the rapid mix processes, the raw water will continue on to a flocculation basin. The goal of the flocculation treatment process is to increase the size of the flocs in order to increase their ability to settle out.
Conclusion
- The water continues on to the sedimentationbasin, or clarifier, after the flocs have been formed. The goal of this stage of the treatment process is to reduce the amount of solids in the water before the water is filtered in the next treatment step. The large flocs will settle out of suspension via gravity. Clarifiers can remove a very large percen...
Collecting Rain
- The final water treatment process in removing particulates is filtration. The sedimentation process will have already removed a large percentage of the suspended solids. Sedimentation is unable to remove many small particles in water though. Filtration will remove these microorganisms and other suspended material that did not settle out previously.
Storage
- As discussed previously, the surface water treatment rule requires both the filtration and disinfection of surface water sources. The water must be disinfected now that it has been filtered.
Screening
- Chlorination was one of the first drinking water disinfection methods. It is still the most commonly used disinfection method used today. The filtered water is injected with either liquid sodium hypochlorite, gaseous chlorine, or solid calcium hypochlorite. Chlorine is a strong oxidant. It is used to both disinfect and also to remove color, taste and odor compounds, iron and manganes…
Removing Particles
- In order to meet the requirements of the Surface Water Treatment Rule, a water system must both remove and inactivate the pathogens in the water. This process begins with coagulation, which destabilizes the particles in the water. Then, during flocculation, the destabilized particles bump into each other and form larger and larger flocs. These large flocs are given adequate time to se…
Final Treatment
Getting Water to You
- At some of our larger water treatment sites, we store the water in reservoirs before it goes through the treatment process. We store the water in reservoirs for two reasons: 1. So that we have a store or reserve of water, so if it hasn’t rained for a while or we can’t pump as much water from the rivers or groundwater sources, we have water available to put through the treatment pr…