Transcript What factors affect water quality?

What factors affect water
quality?
Most people in the US get their
water from a reservoir or an
aquifer.
Water Quality
Water Quality: measurement of
substances in water besides the water
molecules.
Certain substances (Fe) can affect the
taste or color of the water but are not
harmful unless present in large quantities.
Other substances (E Coli) are harmful in
very small amounts.
Concentration: amount of one substance
in a certain volume of another substance.
Factors That Affect Quality
Acidity: determined
by the pH of a
substance. Pure
water has a pH of
7=neutral. Can
cause problems by
dissolving lead from
pipes it passes
through.
Hardness: combined
level of 2 mineralscalcium and
magnesium. Does
not form suds.
Disease-Causing
Organisms: E Coli
and high coliform
counts
Treating Drinking Water
1. Filtration
2. Coagulation
3. Settling Basins
4. Second Filtration
5. Chlorination
6. Aeration
7. Additional Treatment
Treating Drinking Water
Treating Drinking Water
Water Distribution
After treatment, water is ready to be
distributed to homes and businesses.
From a treatment plant, water goes to a
central pumping station.
Water pressure causes water to move
through a system of pipes.
Pumping stations are designed to keep water
pressure steady throughout the system.
Treating Wastewater
Sewage: wastewater and different kinds of
waste in it.
2 ways communities deal with sewage:
wastewater treatment plants and septic
systems or tanks.
Most communities have a wastewater
treatment plant. In rural areas septic tanks
are used.
Septic Tank: an underground tank containing
bacteria that treats wastewater.
A Septic System