Name: Ablao, Bebelyn G.

CYS: BSET4A

Subject: Environmental Science and Engineering

PROGRESS CHECK Week 7

Essay. Ten (10) points for each correct answers.

1. Define potable and palatable and explain why we must provide drinking
water that is both potable and palatable.
Potable water is water that meets the quality standards for consumption of
the state, local, or federal authorities. It comes from surface and ground sources,
such as springs, rivers, or wastewater treatment plants. It is treated to remove
contaminants and harmful microorganisms, bacteria, chemicals, viruses, and fecal
matter. It can be purified by various methods, such as reverse osmosis or UV
filtration.
Palatable water is water that is pleasant to drink. It is at a desirable
temperature, completely transparent and free from tastes, odors and colors but is
not necessarily free from disease-causing agents.
We must provide drinking water that is both potable and palatable because
it helps reduce waterborne diseases and fosters healthy living. Drinking water
quality guidelines and regulations ensure that all human beings within a country
have access to safe drinking water.

2. Differentiate between coagulation and flocculation.

Coagulation and flocculation are two processes used in water treatment.
Coagulation involves adding chemicals to water to bind particles together and form
‘flocs’. Flocculation is the process of adding flocculant to water to encourage floc
formation and increase floc sizes, making them easier to remove. Coagulation is
necessary for the removal of colloidal-sized suspended matter, while flocculation
brings together destabilized particles to form larger agglomerations. Flocculation
follows coagulation and involves gently mixing the water to form larger, heavier
particles called flocs. Sedimentation occurs once the particles have been
coagulated and flocculated.
In summary, coagulation is a chemical process that destabilizes non-
settleable particles by adding a coagulant which helps form clumps while
flocculation is a physical process that promotes agglomeration and assists in the
settling of particles by adding a flocculant.

3. List and describe the four categories of water quality for drinking water.
Potable water: It is safe to drink, pleasant to taste, and usable for domestic
purposes.

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 Palatable water: It is esthetically pleasing; it considers the presence of chemicals
that do not cause a threat to human health. It is pleasant to taste but may not be
safe to drink.
Contaminated (polluted) water: It is that water containing unwanted physical,
chemical, biological, or radiological substances, and it is unfit for drinking or
domestic purposes.
Infected water: It is contaminated with pathogenic organism that can cause
disease
4. Sketch a typical surface water treatment plant, label all its parts, and explain
their functions.

A typical surface water treatment plant consists of the following parts:

Raw water source: This is the source of water that is to be treated. It could be an
impounding reservoir, lake, or river canal. It provides the source of water that is to
be treated.
Intake well: This is where water is collected from the raw water source. It collects
water from the raw water source.
Water pumping system: This system pumps water from the intake well to the
treatment plant.
Cascade aerator: This is where air is mixed with water to remove dissolved gases
and other impurities. It removes dissolved gases and other impurities from the
water.
Alum mixer: This is where aluminum sulfate (alum) is added to the water to help
remove suspended particles. It helps remove suspended particles from the water.
Clarifier: This is where suspended particles are removed from the water.
Filter bed washing system: This system removes any remaining suspended
particles from the water.
Sand filters: These filters remove any remaining suspended particles from the
water.

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5. Sketch a water-softening plant, label all its parts, and explain their functions.

A water softening plant is a facility that removes minerals such as calcium

and magnesium from water. The plant consists of several parts including the
following:
Inlet valve: This is the point where water enters the softener.
Resin tank: This is where the ion exchange resin is located. The resin is charged
with sodium ions.
Brine tank: This is where the salt solution used to regenerate the resin is stored.
Outlet valve: This is where softened water exits the softener.

6. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using chlorine as disinfectant.

Chlorine is a widely used disinfectant that has many advantages and
disadvantages. Some of the advantages of using chlorine as a disinfectant include:

• It is an inexpensive way to disinfect countertops and surfaces in bathrooms

and kitchens and personal items, such as baby toys and utensils.
• It is highly soluble in water.
• It is quite inexpensive compared with other chemicals, and easily available.

However, there are also some disadvantages of using chlorine as a

disinfectant:
• The storage of chlorine and its use must need careful handling.
• Chlorine forms a very explosive mixture when mixed with carbon monoxide
gas.
• Chlorine can react with organic matter in water to form harmful byproducts
called trihalomethanes (THMs) which can cause cancer.

It is important to note that the use of chlorine as a disinfectant has been shown
to be effective against many types of bacteria and viruses. However, it is important
to follow the instructions on the label when using chlorine bleach or other
disinfectants.

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7. A groundwater supply is odorous from the presence of H 2 S. Describe how
you would arrange for this to be eliminated.
There are several methods to remove hydrogen sulfide (H2S) from well water. One
of the most common methods is aeration. Hydrogen sulfide exists as a gas suspended
in the water. This gas may either be naturally occurring or it may be the byproduct of
certain species of otherwise harmless bacteria. Aeration involves injecting air into the
water and allowing the gas to escape.
Another method is catalytic carbon filtration. Many homes with wells already make
use of filtration systems to remove physical contaminants from water. Catalytic carbon
filtration can remove H2S from well water.
Ion exchange is another method that can be used to remove H2S from well water.
This method involves exchanging hydrogen ions for other ions in the water that are
less harmful.

8. Explain in detail the process of UV disinfection.

UV disinfection is a process that uses ultraviolet light to kill or inactivate
microorganisms in water. The UV light penetrates the cell walls of microorganisms
and destroys their DNA, preventing them from reproducing and rendering them
harmless.
In a UV disinfection system, water flows through a chamber containing a UV lamp
that emits ultraviolet light. The lamp is typically made of quartz and is surrounded by
a protective sleeve that keeps the lamp clean and dry. As water flows past the lamp,
the UV light penetrates the cell walls of any microorganisms present in the water,
destroying their DNA and rendering them harmless.
UV disinfection is an effective way to kill or inactivate many types of
microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. It is commonly used in
water treatment plants to disinfect drinking water and wastewater.

9. Explain the process of reverse osmosis using figures to aid your explanation.
Reverse osmosis (RO) is a water purification process
that removes ions, unwanted molecules and larger
particles from drinking water using a partially permeable
membrane. As a result, the solute is kept on the
membrane’s pressurized side and the pure solvent is
allowed to pass to the other side. Reverse Osmosis
works by using a high-pressure pump to increase the pressure on the salt side of the
RO and force the water across the semipermeable RO membrane, leaving almost all
(around 95 to 99 %) dissolved salts in the reject stream behind.

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10. Explain why a disinfectant that has a residual is preferable to one that does
not.
Disinfectants that have a residual are preferable to those that do not because they
can provide long-lasting protection against bacteria and other pathogens. Disinfectant
residuals are commonly maintained within drinking water distribution systems to limit
microbial regrowth in the bulk water during transportation, thus protecting water quality
(and public health). In addition, disinfectant residuals in drinking water protect water
quality and public health by limiting planktonic microbial regrowth during distribution.
In general, disinfectants with residual benefits can provide sustained persistent
antimicrobial benefits in products for the control of microorganisms after
environmental insult.