Drinking Water Supply and

Health
Engineered Water Systems
 Water and Health
• 80% of sickness in the world is caused by
inadequate water supply or sanitation
• 40% of the world population does not have
access to safe drinking water
• It is estimated that water-borne diseases
kill 25,000 people per day
• In many populated areas of the world,
water-borne diseases represent the
leading cause of death
 Malaysian Interim Water Quality
Standards (INWQS)
Table 1: Water Use Classes in the National Water Quality Standards
Updated 2008

Class Uses
CLASS I Conservation of natural environment water supply 1
- practically no treatment necessary.
Fishery 1 - very sensitive aquatic species
CLASS IIA Water Supply II - conventional treatment required
Fishery ll - sensitive aquatic species
CLASS IIB Recreational use with body contact
CLASS III Water Supply lll - extensive treatment required
Fishery lll - common, of economic value, and
tolerant species livestock drinking
CLASS IV Irrigation
CLASS V None of the above
 Malaysia : National Guidelines for
Raw Drinking Water Quality
Table 2 : National Guidelines for Raw Drinking Water
Quality (Revised December 2000)
Parameter Symbol Benchmark
Sulphate SO4 250 mg/l
Hardness CaCO3SO 500 mg/l
Nitrate NO3SO 10 mg/l
Coliform - Must not be detected in any 100 ml sample

Manganese Mn 0.1 mg/l

Chromium Cr 0.05 mg/l
Zinc Zn 3 mg/l
Arsenic As 0.01 mg/l
Selenium Se 0.01 mg/l
Chloride Cl 250 mg/l
Phenolics - 0.002 mg/l
TDS - 1000 mg/l
Iron Fe 0.3 mg/l
Copper Cu 1.0 mg/l
Lead Pb 0.01 mg/l
Cadmium Cd 0.003 mg/l
Mercury Hg 0.001 mg
Sizes of Particles in Water
 Palatable vs. Potable
• Palatable
– aesthetically pleasing
– considers the presence of chemicals that do
not pose a threat to human health
– palatability affected by chloride, color,
corrosivity, iron, manganese, taste and odor,
total dissolved solids, turbidity
 Potable Water
• Potable
– safe to drink
– not necessarily aesthetically pleasing
– potability affected by
• microbials (e.g. Giardia, Cryptosporidium)
• organic chemicals (e.g., alachor, chlordane,
cis-1,2-dichloroethylene, disinfection by-
products)
• inorganic chemicals (e.g., cadmium, copper,
lead, mercury)
• radionuclides
 Palatable and Potable
• The goal of municipal water treatment is to
provide water that is both palatable and
potable
• Palatability and Potability regulated under
Safe Drinking Water Act
– Palatability: Secondary Maximum Contaminant
Levels (SMCLs)
– Potability: Primary Maximum Contaminant Levels
(MCLs) - (for systems serving more than 25
persons per day for greater than 60 days per year)
Primary MCLs (mg/L)
Primary MCLs (mg/L)
Primary MCLs (mg/L)
Primary MCLs (mg/L)
Secondary MCLs (mg/L)
 Sources of Drinking Water
• Groundwater
– shallow wells
– deep wells
• Surface water
– rivers
– lakes
– reservoirs
 Ground- vs. Surface Water

Groundwater Surface water

• constant composition • variable composition
• high mineral content • low mineral content
• low turbidity • high turbidity
• low color • colored
• low or no D.O. • D.O. present
• high hardness • low hardness
• high Fe, Mn • taste and odor
 Surface Water Treatment
• Primary objectives are to
1. Remove suspended material (turbidity) and color
2. Eliminate pathogenic organisms
• Treatment technologies largely based on
coagulation and flocculation
 Surface Water Treatment
Sedimentatio
Screen n
Surface water basin
from supply
Rapid Flocculation
Rapid Mix Basin
Sand Filter Sludge
Disinfection
To
Storage Distribution
System
Surface Water Treatment
 Surface Water Treatment
Main treatment
• Adding Polyaluminum
chloride (PAX) and other
coagulants to to raw water
to promote coagulation and
flocculation
• Sedimentation
• Filtration
• Disinfection using chlorine
gas or UV light
• pH adjustment using
sodium hydroxide (NaOH)
to hinder corrosion in pipes
 Treatment Processes

1. Rapid Mix - From the aerators, the water flows into the
rapid mix tank where it is combined with the lime. The
purpose of the rapid mix tank is to provide a complete
mix, allowing the lime to come in contact with the
dissolved minerals. Detention time in this tank is just a
few seconds.
2. First-Stage Mixing - Lime is mixed with the water for
20 to 30 minutes in mix tank. Motor-driven paddles
keep the mixture moving and prevent settling in the
mix tanks.
 Treatment Processes
3. Second-Stage Mixing - The flow then proceeds to Mix
Tanks. Some pH reduction can be achieved at this
point by blending the lower pH of bypassed raw water
with the high pH of the first-stage mix. During mixing
and flocculation, the particles attach to one another to
form larger solids that will be settled by gravity and
removed during another stage of treatment. As slow
proceeds through each tank the force and speed of the
mixing is gradually reduced, allowing the particles to
grow as large and heavy as possible.
4. Polymer- an anionic polymer is added to aid in
coagulation and enhance settling. The polymer acts
like a "glue,” holding together the particles and
allowing them to grow even larger.
 Treatment Processes
5. Settling - Next, the water flows to quiet settling tanks,
or clarifies, where previously formed particles settle to
the bottom as lime sludge. Flow-through time here is
two to three hours. Part of this sludge is returned to the
mixing tank to assist in coagulation; the remainder is
drawn off continuously to holding ponds or lagoons.
6. Chlorination - To ensure bacteriological safety of the
water supply a calculated dose of chlorine was added.
The chlorine disinfects the water and protects against
microbial contamination after the water leaves the
treatment plant. Dose of chlorine will also protect
treated water from growth of algae if exposed to direct
sun.