SAB 2912-Water Treatment

3.0 PUBLIC HEALTH

Water-related diseases can be grouped into 3 classes:

Waterborne diseases
Caused by the consumption of water contaminated by human or animal excreta
(feces, urine) containing disease-causing organisms (pathogens) such as bacteria,
viruses, worms and amoebas.

Diseases:
Typhoid fever (Salmonella typhi), Cholera (Vibrio cholera), Bacillary dysentery
(Shigella dysenteriae), Diarrheal

Water-washed diseases
Caused by poor hygiene, skin or eye contact with contaminated water and/or
insufficient quantities of clean water for personal hygiene and washing.

Diseases:
Scabies, trachoma (eye infections) and flea, lice and tick-borne diseases such as
typhus.

Water-based diseases
Caused by parasites found in intermediate organisms living in contaminated water.
These diseases are usually passed on to humans when they drink or wash with
contaminated water.

Diseases:
Dracunculiasis (guinea worm), schistosomiasis (bilharzias), other helminthes
(worms)

3.1 WATER QUALITY CRITERIA / GUIDELINES

The water quality criteria/guidelines used in Malaysia can be classified into the
following:

1. Interim National Water Quality Standards for Malaysia (Class I, Class IIA, Class
IIB, Class III, Class IV, Class V)

The Interim National Water Quality Standards (INWQS) of Malaysia defines six
classes (I, IIA, IIB, III, IV and V) of water quality in accordance with the highest
beneficial uses attainable in each of these classes. In Malaysia, water quality has
therefore been adopted as the primary basis for the classification of rivers.

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Interim National River Water Quality Standards for Malaysia

Classes
Parameters (units) I IIA IIB III IV V
Ammoniacal Nitrogen (mg/l) 0.1 0.3 0.3 0.9 2.7 >2.7
BOD5 (mg/l) 1 3 3 6 12 >12
COD (mg/l) 10 25 25 50 100 >100
DO (mg/l) 7 5-7 5-7 3-5 <3 <1
pH 6.5-8.5 6-9 6-9 5-9 5-9 -
Colour (TCU) 15 150 150 - - -
Elect. Cond.# (mmhos/cm) 1,000 1,000 - - 6,000 -
Floatables N N N - - -
Odour N N N - - -
Salinity# (0/00) 0.5 1 - - 2  
Taste N N N - -  
#
Total Diss. Solid   (mg/l) 500 1,000 - - 4,000  
Total SS (mg/l) 25 50 50 150 300 >300
Temperature (oC) - Normal± - Normal± - -
Turbidity (NTU) 5 50 50 - - -
F. Colif+ (counts/100ml) 10 100 400 5,000 5,000 -
(20,000)* (20,000)*
Tot. Colif. (counts/100ml) 100 5,000 5,000 >50,000
50,000 50,000

N - No visible floatable materials/debris, or no objectionable odour, or no objectional taste

# - Related parameters, only one recommended for use
+ - Geometric mean
* - Maximum not to be exceeded

Water Quality Index System for Rivers in Malaysia

A Water Quality Index, in common with many other indices systems, relates a
group of water quality parameters to a common scale and combines them into a
single number in accordance with a chosen method or model of computation.  The
main objective of the WQI system is to use it as a preliminary means of
assessment of a water body for compliance with the standards adopted for five
designated classes of beneficial uses.  The desired used of WQI to an assessment
of water quality trends for management purposes even though it is not meant
specially as an absolute measure of the degree of pollution or the actual water
quality.

WQI Based on DoE Formula

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The parameters chosen for the WQI based on the DoE's formula are DO, BOD,
COD, SS, AN and pH.

The formula used in the calculation of the DoE's WQI is :

WQI = 0.22*SIDO + 0.19*SIBOD + 0.16*SICOD + 0.15*SIAN + 0.16*SISS +

0.12*SIpH

where 

SI is the subindex of each parameter.

DO - Dissolve Oxygen
BOD - Biological Oxygen Demand
COD - Chemical Oxygen Demand
AN - Ammoniacal Nitrogen
SS - Suspended Solid
pH - Acidity/Alkalinity

General Rating Scale for the Water Quality Index (WQI)

Usage  20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
10 WQI

General Slightly
Very Polluted Clean
Polluted
Water Class V IV III II I
Necessary Treatment Minor Purification
Public Water
Not Acceptable Doubtful Becoming more Purific not
Supply
Expensive Required Necessary
Doubtful Becoming
Obvious
Only for for Polluted Still
Recreation Not Acceptable Pollution Acceptable for all Sports
Boating Water Acceptable Need
Appearing
Contact Bacteria Count
Doubtful
Handy
Fish, Shellfish Coarse for Marginal
Not Acceptable Fish Acceptable for all Fish
and Wildlife Fish Only Sensitive for Trout
Only
Fish
Obvious
Navigation Not Acceptable Pollution Acceptable
Appearing
Treated water Not
Acceptable
Transportation Acceptable

  20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
10 WQI

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2. Drinking water

Water for drinking shoul be safe and aesthetically appealing.

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