Water Treatment

Water treatment is a process of making water suitable for its application or returning its
natural state. Thus, water treatment required before and after its application. The required
treatment depends on the application. For example, treatment of greywater (from bath, dish and
wash water) differs from the black water (from flush toilets). Composting toilet is not allowed in
urban dwelling. Yet, composting toilets are used in a 30,000-square-foot office complex at the
Institute of Asian Research, University of British Columbia.
Water treatment involves science, engineering, business, and art. The treatment may include
mechanical, physical, biological, and chemical methods. As with any technology, science is the
foundation, and engineering makes sure that the technology works as designed. The appearance
and application of water is an art.
An environmental scientist or consultant matches the service provider, modify if necessary, with
the requirement.

Natural Water includes some discussion on hard and soft water. Softening hard water for
boiler, cooler, and domestic application is discussed therein. These treatments prepare
water so that it is suitable for the applications.

Water Biology deals with water and biology. Drinking water is part of making water
suitable for living. Thus, this link gives some considerations to drinking water problems.

There are many different industry types, and waters from various sources are usually
treated before and after their applications. Pre-application treatment and wastewater
treatment offer a special opportunity or challenge. Only a general consideration will be
given to some industrial processes.

General municipal and domestic wastewater treatment converts used water (waste) into
environmentally acceptable water or even drinking water. Every urban centre requires
such a facility.

General Wastewater Treatment

Water is a renewable resource. All water treatments involve the removal of solids, bacteria,
algae, plants, inorganic compounds, and organic compounds. Removal of solids is usually done
by filtration and sediment. Bacteria digestion is an important process to remove
harmful pollutants. Converting used water into environmentally acceptable water or even
drinking water is wastewater treatment
Sewage Treatment
Sewage is SCREENED to remove large solid chunks, which are disposed in LANDFILL SITE. It flows
over to the SETTLEMENT TANK to let the fine particles to settle. The settlement is called the
activated SLUDGE. The supernatant is then PERCOLATING FILTERED and/or AERATED. The water
can be filtered again, and then disinfected (chlorinated in most cases). When there is no other
complication, the water is returned to nature back to the ecological cycle.

The SLUDGE removed from the settlement is composed of

living biological material. A portion of it may be returned to
the AERATION TANK, but the raw SLUDGE is digested by
both microorganism. Anaerobic (without oxygen) and
aerobic (with air) bacteria digestions are used. At the
digestion stage, carbon dioxide, ammonia, and methane
gases are evolved. Volume of the digested sludge is
reduced, and it is acceptable as a fertilizer supplement in
farming.
Treatment by activated carbon
Treatment by activated carbon is mostly due to adsorption
or absorption. When a chemical species is adhered to the
surface of a solid, it is an adsorption. When partial
chemical bonds are formed between adsorbed species or
when the absorbate got into the channels of the solids, we
call it absorption. However, these two terms are often used
to mean the same, because to distinguish one from type
from the other is very difficult.
Application of activated charcoal for the removal of undesirable order and taste in drinking water
has been recognized at the dawn of civilization. Using bone char and charred vegetation, gravel,
and sand for the filtration of water for domestic application has been practised for thousands of
years. Active research and production of activated charcoal was accelerated during the two world
wars. The use of poison gas prompted the development of masks. They are still in use today.
Charcoal absorbs many substances, ranging from colored organic particulates to inorganic metal
ions. Charcoal has been used to remove the colour of raw sugar from various sources.
Charcoal consists of microcrystallites of graphite. The particles are so small in charcoal that they
were considered amorphous. The crystal structure of graphite consists of layers of hexagonal
networks, stacked on top of each other. Today, making activated carbon is a new and widely
varied industry. Other molecules attach themselves to the porous surface and dangling carbons
in these microcrystallites.
Coagulation, flucculation and sedimentation
Natural and wastewater containing small particulates. They are suspended in water forming
a colloid. These particles carry the same charges, and repulsion prevents them from combining
into larger particulates to settle. Thus, some chemical and physical techniques are applied to
help them settle. The phenomenon is known as coagulation. A well known method is the
addition of electrolyte. Charged particulates combine with ions neutralizing the charges. The
neutral particulates combine to form larger particles, and finally settle down.
Another method is to use high-molecular-weight material to attract or trap the particulates and
settle down together. Such a process is called flocculation. Starch and multiply charged ions are
often used.
Sedimentation let the water sit around to let the floculated or coagulated particles to settle out.
It works best with relatively dense particles (e.g. silt and minerals), while flotation works better
for lighter particles (e.g. algae, color). A settling tank should be big enough so that it takes a long
time (ideally 4 hours +) to get through. Inlets and outlets are designed so the water moves
slowly in the tank. Long and narrow channels are installed to let the water to snake its way
through the tank. The settled particles, sludge, must occasionally be removed from the tanks.

The water is next ready to be filtered. Sedimentation is used in pre-treatment and wastewater
treatment.
Filtration
Filtration is the process of removing solids from a fluid by passing it through a porous medium.
Coarse, medium, and fine porous media have been used depending on the requirement. The
filter media are artificial membranes, nets, sand filter, and high technological filter systems. The
choice of filters depends on the required filtering speed and the cleanness requirement. The flow
required for filtration can be achieved using gravity or pressure. In pressure filtration, one side of
the filter medium is at higher pressure than that of the other so that the filter plane has a
pressure drop. Some portion of this filter type must be enclosed in a container.
The process of removing the clogged portion of the filter bed by reversing the flow through the
bed and washing out the solid is called back washing. During this process, the solid must be
removed out of the system, but otherwise the filters must be either replaced or taken out of
service to be cleaned.
Aeration
Bringing air into intimate contact with water for the purpose of exchanging certain components
between the two phases is called aeration. Oxygenation is one of the purposes of aeration.
Others are removal of volatile organic substances, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and volatile
organic compounds.
A gas or substance dissolved in water may further react with water. Such a reaction is
called hydration
Methods of aeration are

Diffused aeration - Air bubbles through water.

Spray aeration - Water is sprayed through air.

Multiple-tray aeration - Water flows through several trays to mix with air.

Cascade aeration - Water flows downwards over many steps in the form of thin water falls.

Air stripping - A combination of multiple tray and cascade technique plus random packed
blocks causing water to mix thoroughly with air.

Reverse osmosis water filter system

In the following discussion, a dilute solution and a concentrated solution are considered. The
dilute solution can be a clean water whereas the concentrated solution contains undesirable
solute (electrolyte or others).
When a compartment containing a dilute solution is connected to another compartment
containing a concentrated solution by a semipermeable membrane, water molecules move from
the dilute solution to concentrated solution. This phenomenon is called osmosis. Pig bladders
are natural semipermeable membranes. As the water molecules migrate through the
semipermeable membrane, water level in the solution will increase until the (osmotic) pressure
prevents a net migration of water molecules in one direction. A pressure equivalent to the height
difference is called the osmotic pressure.

By applying pressure in the higher concentration solution, water molecules migrate from a high
concentration solution to a low concentration solution. This method is called reverse osmosis
water filter system.

Wastewater treatment
The principal objective of wastewater treatment is generally to allow human and industrial
effluents to be disposed of without danger to human health or unacceptable damage to the
natural environment.
Conventional wastewater treatment consists of a combination of physical, chemical, and
biological processes and operations to remove solids, organic matter and, sometimes, nutrients
from wastewater.
Preliminary treatment
The objective of preliminary treatment is the removal of coarse solids and other large materials
often found in raw wastewater. Removal of these materials is necessary to enhance the operation
and maintenance of subsequent treatment units. Preliminary treatment operations typically
include coarse screening, grit removal and, in some cases, comminution of large objects.
Primary treatment
The objective of primary treatment is the removal of settleable organic and inorganic solids by
sedimentation, and the removal of materials that will float (scum) by skimming. Approximately
25 to 50% of the incoming biochemical oxygen demand (BOD 5), 50 to 70% of the total
suspended solids (SS), and 65% of the oil and grease are removed during primary treatment.
Some organic nitrogen, organic phosphorus, and heavy metals associated with solids are also
removed during primary sedimentation but colloidal and dissolved constituents are not affected.
Secondary treatment
The objective of secondary treatment is the further treatment of the effluent from primary
treatment to remove the residual organics and suspended solids. In most cases, secondary
treatment follows primary treatment and involves the removal of biodegradable dissolved and
colloidal organic matter using aerobic biological treatment processes.
Tertiary and/or advanced treatment
Tertiary and/or advanced wastewater treatment is employed when specific wastewater
constituents which cannot be removed by secondary treatment must be removed.

Disinfection
Disinfection normally involves the injection of a chlorine solution at the head end of a chlorine
contact basin. The chlorine dosage depends upon the strength of the wastewater and other
factors, but dosages of 5 to 15 mg/l are common. Ozone and ultra violet (uv) irradiation can also
be used for disinfection but these methods of disinfection are not in common use.
Effluent storage
Although not considered a step in the treatment process, a storage facility is, in most cases, a
critical link between the wastewater treatment plant and the irrigation system. Storage is needed
for the following reasons:
i. To equalize daily variations in flow from the treatment plant and to store excess when average
wastwater flow exceeds irrigation demands; includes winter storage.
ii. To meet peak irrigation demands in excess of the average wastewater flow.
iii. To minimize the effects of disruptions in the operations of the treatment plant and irrigation
system. Storage is used to provide insurance against the possibility of unsuitable reclaimed
wastewater entering the irrigation system and to provide additional time to resolve temporary
water quality problems.
Air A Precious Resource
Our air is a very precious resource. People, animals, plants and birds all depend on clean air to
live. Choices we make every day can make a positive difference to our air quality, both indoors
and out.
1. Air is invisible. You can't see air but you will feel air when it is moving. Wind is moving air
2. Air is odorless. Pure air has no smell or odour.
3. Living things breathe air. All living things such as humans, animals and plants need air
to survive.
4. Air takes up space. When we drink a can of juice or pop air fills up the space in the can. An
empty glass is full of air, even when it is upside down.
5. Air has weight or mass. Matter is anything that takes up space or has weight. The weight of
air is called air pressure. The air pressure is the same inside and outside your body.
Air pollution is contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or
biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere. Household
combustion devices, motor vehicles, industrial facilities and forest fires are common sources of
air pollution. Pollutants of major public health concern include particulate matter, carbon
monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide. Outdoor and indoor air pollution cause
respiratory and other diseases, which can be fatal.
Smog hanging over cities is the most familiar and obvious form of air pollution. But there are
different kinds of pollutionsome visible, some invisiblethat contribute to global warming.
Generally any substance that people introduce into the atmosphere that has damaging effects on
living things and the environment is considered air pollution.

Carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, is the main pollutant that is warming Earth. Though living
things emit carbon dioxide when they breathe, carbon dioxide is widely considered to be a
pollutant when associated with cars, planes, power plants, and other human activities that
involve the burning of fossil fuels such as gasoline and natural gas. In the past 150 years, such
activities have pumped enough carbon dioxide into the atmosphere to raise its levels higher than
they have been for hundreds of thousands of years.
Other greenhouse gases include methanewhich comes from such sources as swamps and gas
emitted by livestockand chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which were used in refrigerants and
aerosol propellants until they were banned because of their deteriorating effect on Earth's ozone
layer.
Another pollutant associated with climate change is sulfur dioxide, a component of smog. Sulfur
dioxide and closely related chemicals are known primarily as a cause of acid rain. But they also
reflect light when released in the atmosphere, which keeps sunlight out and causes Earth to cool.
Volcanic eruptions can spew massive amounts of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, sometimes
causing cooling that lasts for years. In fact, volcanoes used to be the main source of atmospheric
sulfur dioxide; today people are.
Industrialized countries have worked to reduce levels of sulfur dioxide, smog, and smoke in order
to improve people's health. But a result, not predicted until recently, is that the lower sulfur
dioxide levels may actually make global warming worse. Just as sulfur dioxide from volcanoes
can cool the planet by blocking sunlight, cutting the amount of the compound in the atmosphere
lets more sunlight through, warming the Earth. This effect is exaggerated when elevated levels of
other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trap the additional heat.
Most people agree that to curb global warming, a variety of measures need to be taken. On a
personal level, driving and flying less, recycling, and conservation reduces a persons "carbon
footprint"the amount of carbon dioxide a person is responsible for putting into the atmosphere.
On a larger scale, governments are taking measures to limit emissions of carbon dioxide and
other greenhouse gases. One way is through the Kyoto Protocol, an agreement between
countries that they will cut back on carbon dioxide emissions. Another method is to put taxes on
carbon emissions or higher taxes on gasoline, so that people and companies will have greater
incentives to conserve energy and pollute less.
Non-Hazardous Waste Management Hierarchy
Because no single waste management approach is suitable for managing all waste streams in all
circumstances, EPA developed a hierarchy ranking the
most environmentally sound strategies for municipal
solid waste. The hierarchy places emphasis on reducing,
reusing, and recycling the majority of wastes and
demonstrates the key components of EPA's Sustainable
Materials Management Program (SMM).
SMM is an effort to protect the environment and
conserve resources for future generations through a
systems approach that seeks to reduce materials use
and their associated environmental impacts over their
entire life cycles, starting with extraction of natural
resources and product design and ending with decisions
on recycling or final disposal.

Source Reduction and Reuse

Source reduction, also known as waste prevention, means reducing waste at the source. It can
take many different forms, including reusing or donating items, buying in bulk, reducing
packaging, redesigning products, and reducing toxicity. Source reduction also is important in
manufacturing. Lightweighting of packaging, reuse, and remanufacturing are all becoming more
popular business trends. Purchasing products that incorporate these features supports source
reduction.
Source reduction can:
Save natural resources;
Conserve energy;
Reduce pollution;
Reduce the toxicity of our waste; and
Save money for consumers and businesses alike.

Recycling/Composting
Recycling is a series of activities that includes the collection of used, reused, or unused items
that would otherwise be considered waste; sorting and processing the recyclable products into
raw materials; and remanufacturing the recycled raw materials into new products. Consumers
provide the last link in recycling by purchasing products made from recycled content. Recycling
also can include composting of food scraps, yard trimmings, and other organic materials.
Recycling prevents the emission of many greenhouse gases and water pollutants, saves energy,
supplies valuable raw materials to industry, creates jobs, stimulates the development of greener
technologies, conserves resources for our children's future, and reduces the need for new
landfills and combustors.
Energy Recovery
Energy recovery from waste is the conversion of non-recyclable waste materials into useable
heat, electricity, or fuel through a variety of processes, including combustion, gasification,
pyrolization, anaerobic digestion, and landfill gas (LFG) recovery. This process is often called
waste-to-energy (WTE).
Treatment and Disposal
Landfills are the most common form of waste disposal and are an important component of an
integrated waste management system. Landfills that accept municipal solid waste are primarily
regulated by state, tribal, and local governments. EPA, however, has established national
standards these landfills must meet in order to stay open. The federal landfill regulations have
eliminated the open dumps of the past. Todays landfills must meet stringent design, operation,
and closure requirements. Methane gas, a byproduct of decomposing waste, can be collected
and used as fuel to generate electricity. After a landfill is capped, the land may be used for
recreation sites such as parks, golf courses, and ski slopes.
Built Environment

In social science, the term built environment refers to the human-made surroundings that
provide the setting for human activity, ranging in scale from buildings and parks or green
space to neighborhoods and cities that can often include their supporting infrastructure, such
as water supply or energy networks. The built environment is a material, spatial and cultural
product of human labor that combines physical elements and energy in forms for living, working
and playing. It has been defined as "the human-made space in which people live, work, and
recreate on a day-to-day basis." The "built environment encompasses places and spaces created
or modified by people including buildings, parks, and transportation systems." In recent years,
public health research has expanded the definition of "built environment" to include healthy food
access, community gardens, "walkability" and "bikability."