well as costly.
Once polluted, an aquifer may
ESCI 213 Environmental
Science and Engineering
Water Pollution
Water Pollution: Everything You
Need to Know
What is Water Pollution?
Water pollution occurs when harmful substance
– often chemicals or microorganisms –
contaminate a stream, river, lake, ocean,
aquifer, or other body of water, degrading
water quality and rendering it toxic to humans
or the environment.
What are the Causes of Water Pollution?
Water is uniquely vulnerable to pollution.
Known as a “universal solvent,” water is able
to dissolve more substances than any other
liquid on Earth. It’s the reason we have Kool-
Aid and brilliant blue waterfalls. It’s also why
water is so easily polluted. Toxic substances
from farms, towns, and factories readily
dissolve into and mix with it, causing water
pollution.
Types of Water Pollution
Groundwater
When rain falls and seeps deep into the
earth, filling the cracks, crevices, and porous
spaces of an aquifer (basically an underground
storehouse of water), it becomes groundwater
—one of our least visible but most important
natural resources. Nearly 40 percent of
Americans rely on groundwater, pumped to the
earth’s surface, for drinking water. For some
folks in rural areas, it’s their only freshwater
source. Groundwater gets polluted when
contaminants—from pesticides and fertilizers to
waste leached from landfills and septic systems
—make their way into an aquifer, rendering it
unsafe for human use. Ridding groundwater of
contaminants can be difficult to impossible, as
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be unusable for decades, or even thousands of
years. Groundwater can also spread
contamination far from the original polluting
source as it seeps into streams, lakes, and
oceans.
Surface water
Covering about 70 percent of the earth,
surface water is what fills our oceans, lakes,
rivers, and all those other blue bits on the
world map. Surface water from freshwater
sources (that is, from sources other than the
ocean) accounts for more than 60 percent of
the water delivered to American homes. But a
significant pool of that water is in peril.
According to the most recent surveys on
national water quality from the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, nearly half of
our rivers and streams and more than one-
third of our lakes are polluted and unfit for
swimming, fishing, and drinking. Nutrient
pollution, which includes nitrates and
phosphates, is the leading type of
contamination in these freshwater sources.
While plants and animals need these nutrients
to grow, they have become a major pollutant
due to farm waste and fertilizer runoff.
Municipal and industrial waste discharges
contribute their fair share of toxins as well.
There’s also all the random junk that industry
and individuals dump directly into waterways.
Ocean water
Eighty percent of ocean pollution (also
called marine pollution) originates on land—
whether along the coast or far inland.
Contaminants such as chemicals, nutrients,
and heavy metals are carried from farms,
factories, and cities by streams and rivers into
our bays and estuaries; from there they travel
out to sea. Meanwhile, marine debris—
particularly plastic—is blown in by the wind or
washed in via storm drains and sewers. Our
seas are also sometimes spoiled by oil spills
and leaks—big and small—and are consistently
soaking up carbon pollution from the air. The
ocean absorbs as much as a quarter of man-
made carbon emissions.
Point source
When contamination originates from a
single source, it’s called point source pollution.
Examples include wastewater (also called
effluent) discharged legally or illegally by a
manufacturer, oil refinery, or wastewater
treatment facility, as well as contamination
from leaking septic systems, chemical and oil
spills, and illegal dumping. The EPA regulates
point source pollution by establishing limits on
what can be discharged by a facility directly
into a body of water. While point source
pollution originates from a specific place, it can
affect miles of waterways and ocean.
Nonpoint source
Nonpoint source pollution is
contamination derived from diffuse sources.
These may include agricultural or stormwater
runoff or debris blown into waterways from
land. Nonpoint source pollution is the leading
cause of water pollution in U.S. waters, but it’s
difficult to regulate, since there’s no single,
identifiable culprit.
Transboundary
It goes without saying that water
pollution can’t be contained by a line on a map.
Transboundary pollution is the result of
contaminated water from one country spilling
into the waters of another. Contamination can
result from a disaster—like an oil spill—or the
slow, downriver creep of industrial,
agricultural, or municipal discharge.
The Most Common Types of Water
Contamination
Agriculture
Not only is the agricultural sector the
biggest consumer of global freshwater
resources, with farming and livestock
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production using about 70 percent of the
earth’s surface water supplies, but it’s also a
serious water polluter. Around the world,
agriculture is the leading cause of water
degradation. In the United States, agricultural
pollution is the top source of contamination in
rivers and streams, the second-biggest source
in wetlands, and the third main source in lakes.
It’s also a major contributor of contamination
to estuaries and groundwater. Every time it
rains, fertilizers, pesticides, and animal waste
from farms and livestock operations wash
nutrients and pathogens—such bacteria and
viruses—into our waterways. Nutrient pollution,
caused by excess nitrogen and phosphorus in
water or air, is the number-one threat to water
quality worldwide and can cause algal blooms,
a toxic soup of blue-green algae that can be
harmful to people and wildlife.
Sewage and wastewater
Used water is wastewater. It comes
from our sinks, showers, and toilets (think
sewage) and from commercial, industrial, and
agricultural activities (think metals, solvents,
and toxic sludge). The term also includes
stormwater runoff, which occurs when rainfall
carries road salts, oil, grease, chemicals, and
debris from impermeable surfaces into our
waterways
More than 80 percent of the world’s
wastewater flows back into the environment
without being treated or reused, according to
the United Nations; in some least-developed
countries, the figure tops 95 percent. In the
United States, wastewater treatment facilities
process about 34 billion gallons of wastewater
per day. These facilities reduce the amount of
pollutants such as pathogens, phosphorus, and
nitrogen in sewage, as well as heavy metals
and toxic chemicals in industrial waste, before
discharging the treated waters back into
waterways. That’s when all goes well. But
according to EPA estimates, our nation’s aging
and easily overwhelmed sewage treatment
systems also release more than 850 billion o On the Environment
gallons of untreated wastewater each year.
What can you do to prevent Water
Oil Pollution Pollution?
Big spills may dominate headlines, but o With your actions
consumers account for the vast majority of oil o With your voice
pollution in our seas, including oil and gasoline
that drips from millions of cars and trucks Reference:
every day. Moreover, nearly half of the https://www.nrdc.org/stories/water-pollution-
estimated 1 million tons of oil that makes its everything-you-need-know
way into marine environments each year
comes not from tanker spills but from land-
based sources such as factories, farms, and Water Pollution Video
cities. At sea, tanker spills account for about 10 Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
percent of the oil in waters around the world, v=zBKGxuxFn1E
while regular operations of the shipping
industry—through both legal and illegal Water Pollution in India
discharges—contribute about one-third. Oil is
also naturally released from under the ocean
Protecting the Environment
floor through fractures known as seeps.
General Information
Population
Radioactive substances
India has more than 1.4B people.
Radioactive waste is any pollution that
emits radiation beyond what is naturally
Diversity
released by the environment. It’s generated by
India has 21 main languages, 121 total
uranium mining, nuclear power plants, and the
languages, and approx. 1600 dialects.
production and testing of military weapons, as
well as by universities and hospitals that use
Economy
radioactive materials for research and
30% of the Indian population earns
medicine. Radioactive waste can persist in the
$1.25 a day or less.
environment for thousands of years, making
disposal a major challenge. Consider the
Health and Environment
decommissioned Hanford nuclear weapons
Population
production site in Washington, where the
80% of the bodies of water in India is
cleanup of 56 million gallons of radioactive
polluted.
waste is expected to cost more than $100
billion and last through 2060. Accidentally
Health
released or improperly disposed of
Millions of Indian people die every year
contaminants threaten groundwater, surface
due to poor sources of water.
water, and marine resources.
Water Source
What is Water Pollution
40% of the Indian people do not have a
https://youtu.be/Zk1J2EW-nmQ
clean source of water.
What are the effects of Water Pollution?
Water Pollution in India
o On Human Health

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 1. The prominence of slum areas in India
contributes to unsafe dumping of wastes
on bodies of water.
2. The lack of potent water in India allows
Tanker Mafias to exploit the situation for
their own personal benefit.
3. The continuous presence of oil leaks,
poor sanitation, and open defecation are
the leading causes of water pollution in
India.
Policy for Reuse of Treated Waste Water
Current Situation
351 polluted River Stretches in India:
o Maharashtra – 53
o Assam – 44
o Madhya Pradesh – 22
o Kerala – 21
o Gujarat – 20
o Odisha -19
o West Bengal and Karataka – 17
o Punjab Chief Minister openly drinks a
glass of polluted water from a ‘holy
river’ to prove that water is clean.
o Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann (former
actor, comedian, and satirist) ends up in
hospital with stomach infection two days
after drinking polluted water from Kali
Bein river.
o prepared by the Government of Gujarat,
this policy aims to decrease the
dependency on fresh water resources
such as the Narmada River
o with the enacted policy, it has been
planned that 161 sewage treatment
plans will be constructed all throughout
the state of Gujarat
o Statuary quality standards for the
treated waste water will be strictly
followed so that no other sources of
water will be contaminated

NGO’s Action
Chennal’s water reuse rose from 36,000
to 60,000 cubic meters within 3 years, starting
from the year 2016.

VA Tech Wabag
o built numerous water reuse water plants
all across India, which resulted in the
production of 18 million cubic meters of
clean water every day, by the year
2020.
Government’s Action o brought focus to the installation of
Ironic Fate of Two Rivers water treatment facilities to cater to
o Ganges and Yamuna rivers granted municipal and industrial users
same legal rights as human beings.
o The Chambal River is considered
pollution free, believed that due to the
curse by Draupadi, helped the Chambal
to survive unpolluted by man.

“Genius” Solutions

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 o in dealing with the water’s turbidity or
its murkiness which brings different
forms or diseases, the usage of
flocculants is implemented in cleaning
the water
Afroz Shah
In the October of 2015, started to clean
up a nearby beach along with his neighbor.
After only sixty-nine weeks, he drew the
world’s attention by removing 4.5k tonnes of
trash from Versova Beach.
The United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) called it the world’s largest
beach clean-up in history and awarded Shah
UN’s top environmental accolade – Champions
of the Earth award.
Water Pollution in China
What We’ll Discuss
o About water pollution in China
o Their methods of minimizing water
pollution
History
o Water pollution started in China in the
late 1950s with the development of
industry and has become more and
more serious since the 1970s.
o By 1989, 436 of China’s 532 rivers were
polluted.
o In 1994, the World Health Organization
reported that China’s cities contain more
polluted water than those of any other
country in the world.
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o In the late 2000s, about one third of the
industrial waste water and more than 90
percent of household sewage in China
was released into rivers and lakes
without being treated.
Water Pollution in China
o Almost all of China rivers are considered
polluted to some degree, and half of the
population lacks access to clean water.
o Every day hundreds of millions of
Chinese drink contaminated water. 90%
of urban water bodies are severely
polluted.
o Water shortages and water pollution in
China are such a problem that the World
Bank warns of “catastrophic
consequences for future generations”.
o Nearly two thirds of China’s rural
population – more than 500 million
people – use water contaminated by
human and industrial waste.
Xin’An River Clean-Up
1. Upgrading sewage and stormwater
facilities in Huangshan’s central district
2. Utilization of organic materials for
agricultural purposes
Five Year Plan
1. Reduction in the use of chemical
fertilizers and insecticides
2. Increase rates of wastewater treatment
The Detox Campaign
1. Publicizing the relationship of
multinational companies and suppliers
to the water pollution in China
2. Preventing hazardous waste to be in the
water
Conclusion
This proves that drinking water in China
is just as deadly as breathing the air. While air
pollution is obvious to the unaided eye, urban
subterranean water contamination is invisible,
making it essentially ignored and continuing
unabatedly.
“Water is Life, and Clean Water means Health.”
Anonymous
Water Pollution in Japan
Japan: State of Water
(problems and solutions)
Background; Japan
o Island group with 4 main islands:
Hokkaido, Honshu (where Tokyo is
located), Shikoku, and Kyushu
o ties with Hong Kong for highest life
expectancy in the world (84 years)
o sixth-longest coastline in the world
(18,500 miles/30,000 kilometers)
o rose to become second-largest economy
in the world after tragic effects of World
War 2 on the country through
industrialization
Pollution in Japan
caused by rapid industrialization
Air Pollution
o fossil fuel combustions from factories
lead to massive carbon dioxide
emissions, resulting in nearly 43,000
deaths back in 2019
Marine Pollution
o industrial activities release harmful
chemicals into bodies of water,
poisoning humans through consumption
and causing mutations in aquatic life
Fukushima: Japan releases radioactive water
Japan’s nuclear regulators have approved a
plan to release into the ocean water from the
wrecked Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power
plant.
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o Brent Heuser, an engineering professor
at the University of Illinois, said Japan’s
plan to release radioactive water from
the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant
will have “zero environmental impact.”
o The plant’s operator, Tokyo Electric
Power Co. or TEPCO, will treat and
dilute the water before pumping it out
into the Pacific Ocean in about two
years’ time.
o Japan’s neighbors including China and
South Korea opposed the plan.
Environmental group Greenpeace as
well as local residents and fishermen
also raised their concerns.
Yamato River
Biodiversity Loss/Aesthetic Degradation/
Surface water Pollution/ Decreasing Water
Quality
Pollution of the Yamato River, Osaka and Nara,
Japan
Other areas affected: Sakai, Yao, Yamato
Takada, Yamato Koriyama
Yamato River was one of the dirtiest rivers in
Japan with excessive biochemical oxygen
demand in the 1970s. After a series of recovery
policies and actions, sweetfish (“ayu”) returned
to the river in the 2000s.
Problems
Primary: Water Management
Secondary:
o Water Access Rights and Entitlements
o Urban development conflicts
o Landfills, toxic waste treatment and
uncontrolled dump sites
o Aquaculture and fisheries
In Response
Administration
 o In March 1991, the Yamato River water
quality improvement emergency five-
year plan (commonly known as Aqua
Road Yamato River Project)
o Yamatogawa Kiryu Renaissance Council
was established to make plans such as
river business, sewerage business,
spread enlightenment activities, and to
carry out various efforts
o Yamato River Clean Flow Renaissance
21
o Yamato River Clean Flow Renaissance II
(October 2002, September 2005, and
the C Project Plan 2006 (Water
Environment Edition))
“A river whose water quality has been
significantly improved over the past 10 years”
Conclusion
1. Yamato River water environment
improvement plan
2. Second Phase Water Environment
Improvement Emergency Action Plan
3. Water Environment Improvement
emergency plan
4. C Project Plan 2006 (Water
Environment)
Industrialization
Ecological Disaster in Japan
Minamata Disease
o a poisoning disease that that nervous
system, mainly central nervous system,
is damaged by methylmercury
Itai-Itai Disease
o the most severe form of chronic Cd
poisoning caused by prolonged oral Cd
ingestion
Solution
o Water pollution rules
o Waste segregation
o Loss prevention
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Solid Waste in the bay of Tokyo
Prefecture
Solution
o Building Incineration Plants to reduce
garbage dump
o Using Polyester screen to filter bacteria
Tokyo
Tokyo has nearly 13 million residents
and is the most densely populated district in
Japan. It is nearly impossible to find available
land to set up a waste disposal plant to
accommodate the people’s garbage wastes.
Odaiba Water Park
During the early years, the Bay of Tokyo
Prefecture used to have swimmable beaches
and was used for water sports events such as
the Tokyo Olympic Games in the year 1964
Incineration Plants
They decided to build incinerating plants
(that destroy garbage dumps by reducing them
to ashes) that meet the highest environmental
standards. City dwellers follow very carefully all
the complex guidelines and regulations of
waste recycling and of separation of waste at
source.
2020 Tokyo Olympic Medals
o made of metal recovered from obsolete
electronic devices
Polyester Screen
Polyester screens can contain the flow
of contaminants such as E-coli bacteria. The
organizers think of using a three-layer screen
to protect water quality at the Obaida, where a
portion of the triathlon and other open-water
competitions will be held.

Water Pollution in …

Water Pollution in …
Gallup’s annual Environment survey conducted
Water Pollution in Laos on March 1-15, 2021

Water Pollution in United Water resources in the United States have

States become severely polluted that they are unsafe
for drinking and recreational use, and aquatic
States of Water Pollution in life has become uninhabitable.
the United States
EIP Report Findings
General Information about USA

Population: 335,623,357 people

Economy: Economically Developed Country
Environment: Variety of Landscapes and
Wildlife

o During the 19th century, the USA

experienced a growing problem of water
pollution.
o Agricultural pollution caused by Clean Water Act of 1972
mechanization of agriculture and o sets up the basic structure for
chemical use. controlling pollutant discharges into US
o Clean Water Act of 1972 waters as well as surface water quality
standards
o has somehow failed to accomplish what
it was intended to
Major Causes of Water Pollution in the
U.S.

Agricultural Runoff
o Industrial Agriculture operations
produce large amounts of water and
Situation of Water Pollution in the U.S. waste from crop production and
livestock
Water pollution, the top environmental problem
in America Nonpoint Source
o Pollutants may be carried across or
through the ground by rain or melting
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 snow, which contains a variety of
contaminants from various areas.
Industrial Activities
o Industrial activities frequently discharge
waste containing toxic chemicals into
freshwater supplies.
Hazardous Waste
o According to the United States
Geological Survey, the country has over
20,000 uncontrolled hazardous waste
sites.
Effects of water pollution to people
Diarrhea
o loose, watery and possibly more-
frequent bowel movements — is a
common problem
o may be present alone or be associated
with other symptoms, such as nausea,
vomiting, abdominal pain or weight loss
o luckily, it is usually short-lived, lasting
no more than a few days
o in the U.S., diarrheal diseases cause an
estimated 167,000 hospitalizations and
300 deaths each year among children
younger than 5 years of age
Skin Diseases
o are conditions that affect your skin
o these diseases may cause rashes,
inflammation, itchiness, or other skin
changes
o some conditions may be genetic, while
lifestyle factors may cause others
o skin disease treatment may include
medications, creams, or ointments, or
lifestyle changes
Malnutrition
o refers to deficiencies or excesses in
nutrient intake, imbalance of essential
nutrients or impaired nutrient utilization
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o unsafe water can cause diarrhea, which
can prevent children from getting the
nutrients they need to survive,
ultimately leading to malnutrition
o malnourished children are also more
vulnerable to waterborne diseases like
cholera
How did the U.S. solve Water Pollution
o Water Conservation Practices in
Farmlands
o Natural Stormwater Management
o Wastewater Treatment
Characteristics of Water
To ensure the quality of safe drinking water
(potable water) the water is to be tested for its
physical, chemical and bacteriological
characteristics.
Physical Characteristics
1. Temperature
o can be measured by a thermometer
o should be suitable to the human
beings depending upon the climatic
and weather conditions
o an average temperature of 15ºC is
generally suitable
2. Turbidity
o muddy or cloudy appearance of
clay or such other particles that
presents hindrance to the path of
light
o may not be harmful but even
then, from aesthetical point of
view it should not exceed the
allowable value
o is measured by a turbidity rod or
a turbidity meter with physical
observations and is expressed as
the suspended matter in mg/l or
ppm (part per million).
 o turbidity in excess of 5 mg/l is
detectable by the consumer and
is hence objectionable.
3. Colour
o is imparted by dissolved organic
matters from decaying vegetation or
some inorganic materials such as
coloured soils (red soil) etc.
o algae or other aquatic plants may
also impart colour. Again, it is more
objectionable from aesthetics point
of view than the health
o is measured in the labs by Nessler’s
tubes by Nessler’s tubes comparing
the sample with the known colour
intensities (More precisely tintometer
measures it)
4. Taste and odour
o the dissolved inorganic salts or
organic matter or the dissolved
gases may impart taste and
odour to the water
o the water must not contain any
undesirable or objectionable taste
or odour
o the extent of taste or odour is
measured by a term called odour
intensity which is related with
threshold odour, which
represents the dilution ratio at
which the odour is hardly
detectible
o the water to be tested is
gradually diluted with odour free
water and the mixture at which
the detection of taste and odour
is just lost is determined. The
number of times the sample is
diluted is known as the threshold
number. Thus if 20 ml of water is
made 100 ml (until it just loses its
taste or odour) then the
threshold number is 5. For
domestic water supplies the
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water should be free from any
taste and odour so the threshold
number should be 1 and should
not exceed 3.
5. Specific conductivity of water
The reason that the conductivity
of water is important is because it can
tell you how much dissolved substances,
chemicals, and minerals are present in
the water. Higher amounts of these
impurities will lead to a higher
conductivity.
The specific conductivity of water
is determined by means of a portable
dionic water tester and is expressed as
micro-mhos per cm at 25°C. Mho is the
unit of conductivity and is equal to 1
ampere/1 volt).
Chemical Characteristics
Chemical analysis of water is done to
determine the chemical characteristics of
water. This involves the determination of total
solids, suspended solids, pH value, hardness,
chlorides, nitrogen content, iron, manganese
and other contents, dissolved gases etc.
1. Total solids and suspended solids
o (total amount of solids) can be
determined by evaporating a
measured sample of water and
weighing the dry residue left
o (suspended solids) can be
determined by filtering the water
sample and weighing the residue
left on the filter paper
o The difference between the total
solids and the suspended solids
will be the dissolved solids.
2. pH of water
o the negative logarithm of
hydrogen ion concentrations and
 thus represent alkaline water and
vice versa
o the higher values of pH mean
lower hydrogen ion
concentrations and thus
represent alkaline water and vice
versa
o the neutral water has the same
number of H+ and OH- ions
o the concentration of both ions in
neutral water is 10–7 moles per
liter
[The neutral water will therefore
possess a pH equal to log10
(1/H+) = log10 (1/10–7) = log10
107= 7]
If an acid is added to neutral water the
number of hydrogen ion increases and thus the
pH reduces. Similarly, if an alkali is added the
number of hydroxyl ion increases thus reducing
the hydrogen ion (as their product is constant,
= 10–14 mole/liter) and the pH increases.
Hence, if the pH of water is more than 7 it is
alkaline and if it is less than 7 it is acidic.
Generally, the alkalinity in water is caused by
the presence of bicarbonates of calcium and
magnesium, or by the carbonates or
hydroxides of sodium potassium calcium and
magnesium. Some of the compounds which
cause alkalinity also cause hardness. Acidity is
caused by the presence of mineral acids, free
carbon dioxide, sulphates of iron and aluminum
etc.
The pH value can be measured by a
digital pH meter. It can also be measured with
the help of colour indicators. The indicators are
added to sample of water and the colour
produced is compared with the standard
colours of known pH values. For municipal
water supplies the pH should be as close to 7
as possible. The lower pH water (acidic) may
harm the pipe lines etc. by reacting with them
(tuberculation and corrosion).
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The alkaline water may produce sedimentation,
(scaling) in pipes, difficulties in chlorination
( for disinfection) and adverse effect on human
physiological system.
3. Hardness of water
o hardness in water prevents the
formation of sufficient foam when
used with soap
o is caused by certain dissolved
salts of calcium and magnesium
which form scum with soap and
reduce the formation of foam
which helps in removing the dirt
from clothes
These salts keep on depositing on the
surface of boilers and thus form a layer known
as scale which reduces the efficiency of the
boilers. The hardness is known as temporary
hardness if it is due to the bicarbonates of
calcium and magnesium as this can be easily
removed by boiling water or adding lime to it.
By boiling the carbon dioxide gas escapes and
the insoluble carbonates are deposited (which
cause scaling). If sulphates, chlorides and
nitrates are present they cannot be easily
removed by boiling and so such water requires
water softening methods and this type of
hardness is known as permanent hardness.
Hardness is measured by titration
method and is expressed in ppm or mg/l.
Generally, the underground water is harder as
it dissolves the salts in its journey from surface
to the ground water table. For boiler feed
waters and for efficient washing of clothes the
water must be soft i.e., hardness should be
less than 75 ppm(mg/l).
4. Chlorides
o are generally present in water in
the form of sodium chloride
o their concentration above 250
mg/l produces a salty taste in
drinking water
 o can be measured in water by
titrating it with standard silver
nitrate solution using potassium
chromate as indicator
5. Nitrogen Content
The nitrogen in water may occur in one
or more forms of the following:
a. Free ammonia
o indicates very fast stage of
decomposition of organic
matter (thus indicating fresh
pollution)
b. Albuminoid nitrogen
o represents the quantity of
nitrogen present in water
before the decomposition of
organic matter has started
c. Nitrites
o indicate the partly
decomposed organic matter
(the continuation of
decomposition)
d. Nitrates
o indicate the presence of fully
oxidized organic matter
(means the prior pollution
condition)
In potable water, the free ammonia
(undecomposed organic matter should not be
more than 0.15 ppm, and the albuminoidal
nitrogen should not be more than 0.3 ppm.
The nitrogen may remain in the form of
nitrates but that too should not be more than
45 ppm as a higher concentration causes blue
baby disease in the infants. Actually, the
nitrates act with the haemoglobin in the blood
(which imparts red colour) and reduce it thus
converting the colour of skin to blue (impure
blood) and thus making them ill and in extreme
cases they can die. Nitrate is measured either
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by reduction to ammonia or by matching the
colours produced with phenoldisulphonic acid.
6. Metals and other chemical substances
Various metals and minerals may be present in
water like iron, manganese, copper, lead,
cadmium, arsenic, barium, elenium, etc. The
allowable limits for them are as shown in the
above tables. If the concentration of these
metals and minerals exceeds the permissible
limits, they have certain harmful effects on the
human health. Higher concentrations of iron
and manganese may cause discoloration of
clothes
washed in such waters. They may cause
incrustation in water supply pipe lines due to
deposition of ferric hydroxide and manganese
oxide. Lead and barium salts are toxic and thus
very low concentration of these salts is
permissible. Arsenic is a well-known poison and
as such extremely low concentration (0.05
ppm) is permitted. High quantities of copper
may badly affect human lungs and other
respiratory organs.
7. Dissolved gases
Various gases like CO2, O2, N2, H2S
and CH4 etc. may be present in dissolved form
in water. H2 S even in small concentration
gives bad taste and odour. CO2indicates
biological activity. Oxygen is generally
absorbed by water from the atmosphere. Its
saturation concentration depends upon
temperature. The organic matter may be
present in water due to the disposal of waste
water in it. Organic matter is instable and has
a tendency to become stable i.e., to be
inorganic matter. This conversion is known as
decomposition of organic matter and the
process is bio-chemical. As it takes place by
bacteria (bio means living) and the conversion
is extra cellular enzymatic reaction so it is
known as a bio-chemical reaction. The demand
of oxygen imposed by the aerobic (working in
presence of oxygen) bacteria is known as the
Bio Chemical Oxygen Demand (BOD). This
BOD reduces the dissolved oxygen content of
the water. So, if the DO of water is found to be
less than the concentration DO it indicates the
water pollution. The BOD of treated water
should be nil. After knowing the standards of
potable water, one should know the ways and
means to make the water fit for drinking, i.e.,
the treatment of water.
Treatment of Water
The available raw water has to be treated to
make it fit, i.e., potable, means safe for human
consumption. It should satisfy the physical,
chemical and bacteriological standards as
specified above. The various methods of
purification of water are:
1. Screening
o screens are provided before the
intake works so as to prevent the
entry of big objects like debris,
branches of trees, part of
animals, etc.
o screens may be of two types:
i. coarse screen
ii. fine screen
o finer is the screen more are the
chances of clogging so generally
only coarse screens are used
o screens may be manually cleaned
or mechanically cleaned
depending upon the requirement
(i.e. the size of the treatment
plant)
2. Plain Sedimentation
o sedimentation is done to remove
the impurities which have specific
gravity more than that of water
and are settleable
o is the process of removing
suspended matters from the
water by keeping it quiescent in
tanks, so that suspended matter
may settle down in the bottom
due to force of gravity
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ESCI 213 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING | Finals
If the water contains suspended
impurities of large size, it is very
economical to remove them by
preliminary sedimentation. The
suspended impurities make the water-
turbid; therefore, when they will be
removed more uniform water will be
available for the further treatment
processes.
3. Filtration
o is a physical and chemical
process for separating suspended
and colloidal impurities from
water by passage through a
porous bed made up of gravel
and sand etc.
o In the water treatment process,
the screening is really the
preliminary step that removes
'larger' organic matter, and then
the filtering process is one that
further removes any impurities.
4. Disinfection
The filtration of water removes the
suspended impurities and removes a large
percentage of bacteria but still some of the
bacteria remain there in the filtered water. This
bacterium may be harmful bacteria (disease
producing bacteria) known as pathogenic
bacteria. The following are some of the
methods of disinfection:
o Boiling of water
o Treatment with excess lime
o Treatment with ultraviolet rays
o Use of chlorine
Out of the above, treatment with chlorine is
the most popular and economically effective.
Actually, the criteria for a good disinfectant as
per the manual are:
o It should be capable of destroying the
pathogenic organisms present, within
the contact time available and not
 unduly influenced by the range of The temporary hardness or bicarbonate
physical and chemical properties of hardness can be removed by boiling or by
water encountered particularly adding lime.
temperature, pH and mineral
constituents.
o It should not leave products of reaction
which render the water toxic or impart
color or otherwise make it unpotable.
o It should have ready and dependable
availability at reasonable cost permitting
convenient, safe, and accurate
application to water.

5. Aeration
Taste and odour, both are undesirable
in water. Aeration is done to remove taste and
odour. Aeration is done to promote the
exchange of gases between the water and the
atmosphere. In the water treatment, aeration
is performed for the following purposes:
o To add oxygen to water for
imparting freshness, for example
water from underground sources
may have lesser oxygen.
o For expulsion of carbon dioxide,
hydrogen sulphide and other
volatile substances causing taste
and odour.
o To precipitate impurities like iron
and manganese specially from
underground water.

6. Water Softening
The reduction or removal of hardness
from water is called as water softening. For
domestic water supplies the softening is done
to reduce the soap consumption, to ensure
longer life to washed fabric, to lower the cost
of maintaining plumbing fixtures and to
improve the taste of food preparations and
improve palatability (good taste). For industrial
supplies softening is done for reducing scaling
problems in boilers and the interference in the
working of dyeing systems.

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ESCI 213 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING | Finals