Water treatment plant near me
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. To protect the main units of a treatment plant and aid in their efficient operation, it is necessary to use screens to remove any large floating and suspended solids present in the inflow. These materials include leaves, twigs, paper, rags, and other debris that could obstruct flow through the plant or damage equipment. 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 gaseous 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. In certain instances, excess algae in the raw water can result in algal growth blocking the sand filter further down the treatment process. In such situations, chlorination is used in place of, or in addition to, aeration to kill the algae, termed pre-chlorination. This process of water treatment comes before the main stages in the treatment of the water. The pre-chlorination also oxidizes taste- and odor-causing compounds. 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.