University of Liberia

College of Engineering
CENG 415
Group # 4

Introduction to Water Treatment (Purification)

Group Members

1. Jeremiah Sele Bomee …………. 89767

2. Ishmael A. Gbowreh …………… 44355
3. Moses S. Kwateh ………………… 83355
4. Kaizekeh G. Saye ………………….88756
5. Awalaeyah S.T. Flomo …………… 88520
Introduction
 Thislesson contain the
introduction to water
Treatment (Purification), the
basis processes associated
with treatment and application
of these processes to surface
water ground water.
Objectives
 To know the reasons why we
treat water
 Identify the various

contaminants found in water.

 Explain the basic water

treatment processes
 What is water Treatment
(Purification)?
 The process of removing impurities or
pollutants from contaminated water to make
it clean and safe water.

 It also the refinement of water through

exclusion of undesirable chemicals,
impurities that lay suspended in water.
Overview of water treatment
Treatment systems are installed for two
reasons:
 To remove those contaminants

that are harmful to health.

To remove contaminants that make

the water to look, taste, or smell
bad.
Types of Contaminants
Aesthetic contaminants
Affect the appearance, taste or odor of the
water.
These include:
cloudiness or turbidity, iron and Manganese
Color, and the rotten egg odor caused by
Hydrogen sulfide gas.
Types of Contaminants cont.
 Health-related contaminants
Affect human health, which can be naturally
occurring, man made or a result of a
treatment process itself.
 Acute contaminants cause sickness at a very

low level or low exposure.

 Chronic contaminants cause sickness only

after prolonged exposure to the

contaminants in drinking water.
Types of Contaminants cont.
Health-related contaminants include

 Pathogenic microorganisms such as virus,

bacteria fungus.

 Inorganic Materials such as lead, arsenic,

nitrate and nitrite.

 Disinfection byproducts that can be formed

during chlorination.
Basic water Treatment Unit Processes
 Water treatment requires chemical, physical and
sometimes biological processes to remove
contaminants.
 The more common processes used in potable

water treatment are: Chemical and Physical

Processes
 Biological Processes are primarily used for

treatment of wastewater. However, the slow

sand filtration process is a biological process
that has been historically used to remove
pathogens from potable water.
 Chemical Processes
 The chemical processes involved in portable
treatment include: Oxidation, Coagulation and
Disinfection.

Oxidation is used in water treatment to aid the

removal of inorganic contaminants such as Iron
(Fe2+), Manganese (Mn2+) and Arsenic (As3+) .
Coagulation is the process of decreasing the
stability of the colloids in water. It results from
adding salts of iron, aluminum, or cationic
Polymer to the water.
Chemical Processes cont.
 Disinfection is the process used to control
waterborne pathogenic organisms and
prevent waterborne disease.

 The goal of proper disinfection in water

system is to inactivate all disease-causing
organisms.
 Physical Processes
 The physical processes include: Flocculation ,
sedimentation ,Filtration and Adsorption
 Flocculation process of slowly mixing the

coagulated water to increase the probability

of particle collision.
 Sedimentation involves removing

contaminants through simple gravity or

through solid contact processes that operate
in a down flow or up flow configuration.
 Physical Processes cont.
 Filtration is the process of separating
suspended and colloidal particles from water
by passing the water through a filter media.
 Adsorption organic and Inorganic

contaminants can be removed from water

through the adsorption process. Adsorption
of a substance involves its accumulation onto
the surface of a solid called the adsorbent.
 Conclusion
 this lesson on water treatment
focuses on the reasons for water
treatment, the basic processes
associated with treatment, and
the application of these processes
to surface water and ground
water.