Raw Water Treatment

Treating raw water involves several processes to make it safe for consumption or use in various industries. Here’s a simplified breakdown:

Coagulation and Flocculation:

• Coagulation: Chemicals are added to raw water to create tiny, sticky particles that attract contaminants.
• Flocculation: Gentle mixing encourages the particles to clump together, forming larger particles called flocs.

Sedimentation

Flocs settle at the bottom due to their increased size and weight, forming a sediment. This water clarification step removes a significant portion of impurities.

Filtration

Water passes through various filtration systems (sand, gravel, carbon, membranes) to remove remaining impurities, including smaller particles, bacteria, and viruses.

Disinfection

• Chlorination: Adding chlorine or chlorine-based compounds to kill remaining pathogens.
• UV Treatment: Exposing water to ultraviolet light to eliminate bacteria and viruses.
• Ozonation: Using ozone to disinfect water by destroying microorganisms and oxidizing impurities.

pH Adjustment and Softening

Balancing the water’s acidity or alkalinity and reducing mineral content through processes like lime softening.

Desalination

For areas with high salinity, desalination processes like reverse osmosis remove salt and minerals from water.

Distribution

Purified water is stored and distributed through pipes for various uses.

The choice of treatment processes depends on the quality of the raw water and the desired water quality standards.

Each step requires careful monitoring and control to ensure effectiveness and compliance with regulatory standards. Additionally, new technologies are continually evolving to improve water treatment processes, making them more efficient and environmentally friendly.