DOMESTIC WATER TREATMENT

The water used for drinking purpose and are supplied by the municipality is called
domestic water or potable water.

The rivers, lakes etc are the sources of municipal water supply. They may contain
impurities that must be removed.

The process of removing all types of impurities from water and making it fit for
domestic purpose is known as domestic water treatment It involves various stages, they are
screening, aeration, sedimentation, coagulation, filtration, sterilization or disinfection.

The various disinfection methods are boiling, chlorination, ozonation, UV treatment.

(i) Screening

When water is allowed to pass through screens having holes, the floating impurities are
retained in the screen.

(ii) Aeration

It is the process of mixing air with water. This removes the gases that give bad taste
and smell to water.

(iii) Sedimentation

Sedimentation is a process of allowing water to stand in big tanks for 2-6 hours, the
suspended particles will settle at the bottom.

(iv) Coagulation

Coagulation is the process of removing fine suspended and colloidal impurities by the
addition of chemicals to water. Chemicals that are added to water to remove the finely
divided particles are called coagulants. Coagulants when added to water, forms an insoluble
gelatinous precipitate known as flock which entangles the finely divided particles. Coagulants
like alum, ferrous sulphate etc are added. The most commonly used coagulant is, Alum
[K2SO4.Al2(SO4)3.24H2O]

Alum reacts with water in the presence of alkalinity of water. It is widely used in
water treatment plants.
 Al2(SO4)3 + Ca(HCO3)2 → 2Al(OH)3↓ + CaSO4 + 6CO2.

(Gelatinous precipitate)

(v) Filtration

It is the process of removing colloidal matter and most of the bacterias, micro
organisms, etc., by passing water through a bed of fine sand and other proper-sized granular
materials. Filtration is carried out by using sand filter.

- Water is passed through a sand filter to remove the colloidal & electrical impurities.

- The sand filter consists of fine sand, Coarse, Sand, fine gravel & coarse gravel.

- Water is filtered by the fine sand & the upper layer of sand is scrapped off when the

outlet water becomes slower.

Water inlet Water

Fine sand

Coarse sand

Fine gravel

Coarse gravel

Water outlet

Sand filter

(iv) Sterilization (or) Disinfection

 Sterilization is the process of destroying harmful bacterias from water. The various
methods are,

(a) Ozonation

Ozone is a powerful disinfectant. It is easily absorbed by water.

O3 → O2 + [O]

(Nascent Oxygen)

The nascent oxygen is very powerful oxidising agent and kills the bacteria as well as
oxidises the organic matter present in water.

For carrying out the disinfection by ozone, ozone is released into the water and the
two are allowed to come in contact in a sterilizing tank. The disinfected water is removed
from the top. The contact period is about 10-15 minutes and the usual dose strength in 2-3
ppm.

Disadvantage

This method is quite expensive and hence, not employed for disinfection of municipal
water supply.

Advantages

Disinfection by ozone is costlier than chlorine, but it simultaneously removes colour,

odour and taste without giving any residue.

(b) Boiling

By boiling water for 10-15 minutes, all the disease producing bacteria are killed and
water becomes safe for use.

(c) UV Treatment

It is used to sterilize water in swimming pools. It is a costly method. Turbid water

cannot be treated.

(d) Chlorination

It is the process of adding chlorine to water .

(a) By adding chlorine gas: Chlorine gas is bubbled into water. It gives out nascent oxygen
which kills the bacteria.

Cl2 + H2O → HOCl + HCl

HOCl → HCl + [O]

(b) By adding bleaching powder : Bleaching powder: when added to water gives out HOCl,
which gives out nascent oxygen. Thus bacterias are killed.

CaOCl 2 + H2O → Ca(OH) 2 + Cl2

HOCl → HCl + [O]

Break point chlorination

The disinfection process taking place during chlorination is explained with the help of
a graph drawn between applied chlorine and residual chlorine.

Kill the bacterias and oxidation of

reducing compounds by chlorine Destruction
of
Formation of chloramine
and
Chloramine and chloro chloro
R e s id u a l c h lo r in e

compounds
compounds
A

Free residual chlorine

Applied chlorine

(i) First the applied chlorine is used to kill the bacteria and oxidized the reducing
compounds.so there is no residual chlorine obtained.

(ii) Now residual chlorine increases due to the formation of chloro and chloramine
compounds.

(iii) The residual chlorine again decreases due to the destruction of chloro and chloramine
compounds by the applied chlorine.

(iv) After a minimum point, the residual chlorine goes on increasing due to the complete
disinfection that has taken place.

(v) The mini mum point after which free residual chlorine appears is known as Break point
chlorination. Therefore for complete disinfection chlorination must be done till the break
point is reached.

Vi)The quantity of chlorine should not exceed 0.1-0.2 ppm