When it comes to the water supply, people expect safe, potable water wherever they turn the tap. In the U.S. it is almost assumed that water from municipal sources, unless posted otherwise, is safe to drink. But how do they know it’s safe? Just as a doctor checks your body temperature, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels to get a read on your overall wellbeing, water treatment facilities rely on a set of specific parameters to gauge the condition of the water.
These parameters are all measurable and knowable, which is essential to the process, and tells the story of the water being treated. Not just drinkability, but “hardness” or particle count or biological activity as this can sometimes impact the plumbing the water passes through (hard water stains, for example).
The water parameters most commonly used fall into three categories: physical, chemical, and biological. Let’s get into it:
Physical Parameters
Temperature: You want it cold in the summer, warm in the winter – right? Not quite. The temperature of the water can impact what happens in the water – chemical reactions, solubility of gasses, and overall biological activity. What’s the ideal temperature? It all depends on what the water is being used for.
Turbidity: How cloudy is the water? No one wants to drink cloudy water. Plus, the suspended particles that cause the cloudiness can impact the disinfection process.
Color and odor: Some water just has a tint and a smell and it is still perfectly safe to drink. Other times, the color and odor can be a little strange, but it tells us what contaminants are in the water.
Chemical Parameters
pH: A neutral pH is ideal for most uses as extreme pH levels can corrode pipes, kill off aquatic life, and make the disinfection processes less effective.
Dissolved Oxygen (DO): Crucial for aquatic organisms, DO levels indicate how much oxygen is available in the water. Factors like temperature, organic matter, and aeration influence DO levels. The Do level can vary depending on how the water is intended to be used.
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS): This is the total concentration of dissolved inorganic salts and organic matter in water. High TDS levels can affect taste, cause scaling in plumbing, and impact industrial machinery.
Alkalinity: alkalinity is how well water can resist changes to its pH level. This is important for avoiding industrial or plumbing corrosion.
Hardness: While not a health concern, hard water can lead to scaling, reduce the effectiveness of soaps and detergents, and negatively impact industrial processes. Water softening removes the calcium and magnesium ions to reduce the hardness.
Specific ions and minerals: chloride, sulfate, calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, and many others. Each mineral has a specific impact on water quality, taste, and potential health hazards.
Biological Parameters
Yes, there is stuff living in your water. Some stuff is good to have, others not so much.
Coliform Bacteria: fecal matter, which is already not good. The presence of this bacteria almost always indicates dangerous pathogens in the water. Do not drink.
Algae and other microorganisms: Most microorganisms are harmless, but excessive growth of algae or the presence of certain bacteria can change the water quality, taste, and odor. Again, depends on the situation and what the water is used for.
While there are many standard procedures and processes that most water treatment facilities already use, many of them can vary depending on the water source, where the water is headed, and if it is meant for human consumption versus industrial applications. Motus Group is making headway in developing PAC slurry injection system products for water treatment facilities. We’d love to show you what we’re working on. Get in touch today.