H2O News

Skye Galley 4/10/14

Have you ever wondered where the water from your tap comes from? Our water originates from lakes or rivers that pass through aqueducts to treatment plants where the water is purified. The processes used to purify water are screening and settling, filtration, and disinfection. Our Newspaper proposes that you learn more about your where your water comes from, which is why we will walk you through the steps of water purifying and give you tips as to how to further your filtering at home for clean drinking. When water is taken from the lakes and rivers it often has microorganisms, wood, fish, and plants present. These things are screened out as it is taken into the water plant. Water that is constantly flowing, such as in a brook, may seem cleaner than a pool of still water, but this is not necessarily so. Flowing water stirs up dirt and sand from the bottom, making it easier to pull into a water filter. If you decide to filter your own water, choose a pool of still water or collect your own pan of water and let it settle before filtering. The process for coagulation and settling is the mixing of water with aluminum sulfate and chlorine.

The aluminum forms into sticky globs which attract bacteria and other impurities. Chlorine is used to kill germs as well as improve the taste and smell of the water Once this process is finished, the water, along with the globs, continues on to a sedimentation basin where the globs settle and are then removed. After the globs are withdrawn, the water continues to flow through filters made of layers of sand and gravel that screen out remaining particles. Disinfection uses chemicals and chlorine to kill the germs that survived. Even the water that has been purified at the treatment plants may contain a variety of bacteria and parasites that can make you sick. Drinking water that is untreated can result in consequences such as nausea, fever, coughs, rashes, diarrhea, loss of appetite, fatigue, and vomiting. Serious diseases that can result from lack of clean water include botulism, cholera, and dysentery. The purpose of water filters is not to kill the creatures, but to capture them inside the filter and prevent you from ingesting them. A few forms of purification include boiling, distillation, ultraviolet light, and tablets. Although water treatment facilities have been using ultraviolet lights to kill radiation for years, portable and at-home units have only recently become available. An ultraviolet light unit is a bottle with a small light source that kills radiation after only two

minutes. The radiation removes pathogens but leaves behind traces of dirt, metal, and chemicals. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, boiling water is one of the safest and most effective methods of purifying water. Another form of boiling you can use to purify water is called distillation. Distilling water gets rid of the extra microorganisms, salts, and other chemicals that make it through previous purifying methods. The process involves boiling water, collecting the vapor, and allowing it to condense back into liquid water. Chemical tablets are an inexpensive and successful way to purify water but come with a few drawbacks. The tablets contain iodine which accomplishes the job of killing bacteria but leaves the water with a bitter taste. Other inconveniences include the limited lifespan, weather conflicts, and unfriendly health effects. If the weather is cold, or the water is filled with sediment, the tablets will take a longer time to work. People with thyroid disease or other health concerns, can be in serious threat due to the iodine. Although our water starts from lakes or rivers and goes through many stages of filtering, it may not be entirely free of impurities. There are many other ways, other than boiling, distillation, ultraviolet light, and tablets, to purify your water. Some of which include getting purified water from water stores or getting an at-home water purifier such as a Brita filter.

Bibliography
"Permanent Representatives Committed to Water." UN Water: Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2014.

"WHO, Norway Send Medicines, Water Purification Equipment to the Democratic Republic of the Congo." WHO. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2014.

Hunter, Amy. "How Water Filters Work." HowStuffWorks. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2014.

"National Geographic Society." National Geographic Channel. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2014. "Cruising Chemistry - How Is Water Purified?" Cruising Chemistry - How Is Water Purified? N.p., n.d. Web.10 Apr. 2014.