VISVESVARAYA TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

“Jnana Sangama”, Belagavi-560014

Energy and Environment

Pedagogy
On

Water Treatment Systems & Mechanisms

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement of VII semester
Energy and Environment

Submitted by,

SWETHA JAGATHA 1DT20IS103

Under the guidance of

Mr Ujwal U
Dept of Mechanical
Assistant Professor
DSATM, Bangalore.

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION SCIENCE and ENGINEERING

DAYANANDA SAGAR ACADEMY OF TECHNOLOGY and MANAGEMENT
Udayapura, Kanakapura Main Road, Opp. Art of Living, Bengaluru-82
2023-2024
 Water Treatment Systems & Mechanisms

Water Pollution :

Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies (such as rivers, lakes, oceans, and
groundwater) by harmful substances, including pollutants like chemicals, industrial waste,
and agricultural runoff. This can have detrimental effects on aquatic ecosystems
and human health.

Causes Of Water Pollution :

The water pollution is sometimes caused by nature, such as when mercury filters from
the Earth's crust, polluting oceans, rivers, lakes, canals and reservoirs. However, the most
common cause of poor quality water is human activity and its consequences, which we will
now go on to explain:

 Global warming:

Rising global temperatures caused by CO2 emissions heat the water, reducing
its oxygen content.

 Deforestation:

Felling forests can exhaust water resources and generate organic residue which
becomes a breeding ground for harmful bacteria.

 Industry, agriculture and livestock farming:

Chemical dumping from these sectors is one of the main causes of

eutrophication of water.

 Rubbish and faecal water dumping:

The UN says that more than 80% of the world's sewage finds its way into seas and
rivers untreated.

 Maritime traffic:

Much of the plastic pollution in the ocean comes from fishing boats, tankers
and cargo shipping.

 Fuel spillages:

The transportation and storage of oil and its derivatives is subject to leakage that
pollutes our water resources.
Effects Of Water Pollution:

Deteriorating water quality is damaging the environment, health conditions and the global
economy. The president of the World Bank, David Malpass, warns of the economic impact:
"Deteriorating water quality is stalling economic growth and exacerbating poverty in many
countries". The explanation is that, when biological oxygen demand — the indicator that
measures the organic pollution found in water — exceeds a certain threshold, the growth in
the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the regions within the associated water basins falls by
a third. In addition, here are some of the other consequences:

Destruction of biodiversity: Water pollution depletes aquatic ecosystems and triggers

unbridled proliferation of phytoplankton in lakes — eutrophication —.

Contamination of the food chain: Fishing in polluted waters and the use of waste water for
livestock farming and agriculture can introduce toxins into foods which are harmful to our
health when eaten.

Lack of potable water: The UN says that billions of people around the world have no access
to clean water to drink or sanitation, particularly in rural areas.

Disease: The WHO estimates that about 2 billion people have no option but to drink water
contaminated by excrement, exposing them to diseases such as cholera, hepatitis A and
dysentery.

Infant mortality: According to the UN, diarrhoeal diseases linked to lack of hygiene cause
the death of about 1,000 children a day worldwide.
Effects of Water Pollution on Plants & Animals:

Plants encounter water pollution in the form of runoff and acid rain. Pollutants in water
runoff affect plants in two main ways. First, they overwhelm and wash away nutrients
essential to plant growth and other biological processes. Second, chemicals found in run off
are often toxic to plant life and their introduction to a plant system will often result in the
death of the plant. Furthermore, contaminated water can reduce soil quality preventing future
plant generations from growing.

Animals face similar challenges from water pollution, runoff water carrying toxic
contaminants Contaminated runoff and industrial wastes in water contributes to the deaths of
thousands of species of fish, reptiles, mammals and amphibians each year. The contamination
kills their offspring, destroys their food sources and poisons their living environment.
Effects of Water Pollution on Humans:

Polluted water leads to the worst effect on human health. According to the World Health
Organization (WHO), every year due to contaminated water 50 million persons become the
victims of death. About 360 persons per one lakh die in India and over 50 per cent patients
getting admitted in hospitals are the patients of water borne diseases. The situation in
underdeveloped countries is even worse where over 80 per cent of the patients are suffering
from the diseases born out of polluted water.

Contaminated water and poor sanitation are linked to transmission of diseases such as
cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid and polio. Absent, inadequate, or
inappropriately managed water and sanitation services expose individuals to
preventable health risks.

Control Measures of Water Pollution:

Water pollution, to a larger extent, can be controlled by a variety of methods. Rather than
releasing sewage waste into water bodies, it is better to treat them before discharge.
Practising this can reduce the initial toxicity and the remaining substances can be degraded
and rendered harmless by the water body itself. If the secondary treatment of water has been
carried out, then this can be reused in sanitary systems and agricultural fields.

A very special plant, the Water Hyacinth can absorb dissolved toxic chemicals such as
cadmium and other such elements. Establishing these in regions prone to such kinds of
pollutants will reduce the adverse effects to a large extent.

Some chemical methods that help in the control of water pollution are precipitation, the ion
exchange process, reverse osmosis, and coagulation. As an individual, reusing, reducing, and
recycling wherever possible will advance a long way in overcoming the effects of
water pollution.
 Water Treatment Systems & Mechanisms:

Water treatment involves various processes to remove impurities and contaminants,

ensuring that water is safe for consumption and use. Here are some common mechanisms in
water treatment systems:

1. Screening: Large objects like debris and leaves are removed through physical barriers, such as
screens, to prevent them from entering the water treatment process.

2. Coagulation and Flocculation: Chemicals are added to the water to create larger particles from
small, suspended particles. These larger particles, called floc, can be more easily removed.

3. Sedimentation: The water is allowed to stand in large tanks, facilitating the settling of heavier
particles (including floc) to the bottom. This clarified water is then moved to the next stage.

4. Filtration: Water passes through layers of granular materials (like sand, gravel, or activated
carbon) to remove remaining impurities and particles.

5. Disinfection: Commonly using chlorine, UV light, or ozone, this step kills or inactivates harmful
microorganisms, preventing the spread of waterborne diseases.

6. pH Adjustment: Chemicals may be added to adjust the acidity or alkalinity of the water to meet
regulatory standards and improve taste.

7. Desalination: In areas with high salinity, desalination processes like reverse osmosis or
distillation are employed to remove salt and make water suitable for drinking.

8. Ion Exchange: This process removes unwanted ions (such as calcium and magnesium) by
exchanging them with more desirable ions, often using resin beads.

9. Adsorption: Activated carbon can be used to adsorb organic compounds, chlorine, and other
impurities from the water.

10. Membrane Filtration: Processes like ultrafiltration and nanofiltration use semi-permeable
membranes to remove particles and impurities at the molecular level.