Water Treatment Process
Community water treatment.
• Drinking water supplies in the United States are
among the safest in the world.
• However, even in the U.S., drinking water sources
can become contaminated, causing sickness and
disease from waterborne germs, such as;
• Cryptosporidium,
• E. coli, Hepatitis A,
• Giardia intestinalis, and
• other pathogens.
• Drinking water sources are subject to
contamination and require appropriate
treatment to remove disease-causing agents.
• Public drinking water systems use various
methods of water treatment to provide safe
drinking water for their communities.
• Today, the most common steps in water
treatment used by community water systems
(mainly surface water treatment) include:
Coagulation and Flocculation
• Coagulation and flocculation are often the first
steps in water treatment.
• Chemicals with a positive charge are added to
the water. The positive charge of these
chemicals neutralizes the negative charge of
dirt and other dissolved particles in the water.
• When this occurs, the particles bind with the
chemicals and form larger particles, called
floc.
Sedimentation
• During sedimentation, floc settles to the
bottom of the water supply, due to its weight.
This settling process is called sedimentation.
Filtration
• Once the floc has settled to the bottom of the
water supply, the clear water on top will pass
through filters of varying compositions (sand,
gravel, and charcoal) and pore sizes, in order
to remove dissolved particles, such as dust,
parasites, bacteria, viruses, and chemicals.
Disinfection
• After the water has been filtered, a disinfectant (for
example, chlorine, chloramine) may be added in
order to kill any remaining parasites, bacteria, and
viruses, and to protect the water from germs when it
is piped to homes and businesses.
• Water may be treated differently in different
communities depending on the quality of the water
that enters the treatment plant. Typically, surface
water requires more treatment and filtration than
ground water because lakes, rivers, and streams
contain more sediment and pollutants and are more
likely to be contaminated than ground water.
• Some water supplies may also contain disinfections by-
products, inorganic chemicals, organic chemicals, and
radionuclides. Specialized methods for controlling
formation or removing them can also be part of water
treatment. To learn more about the different treatments
for drinking water, see the National Drinking Water
Clearinghouse's Fact Sheet Series on Drinking Water
Treatments.
• To learn more about the steps that are taken to make our
water safe to drink, visit the United States
Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Public
Drinking Water Systems webpage. To learn more about
the 90+ contaminants EPA regulates and why, visit
EPA's Drinking Water Contaminants
Water Fluoridation
• Community water fluoridation prevents tooth
decay safely and effectively. Water fluoridation
has been named one of 10 great public health
achievements of the 20th century 1.
• For more information on the fluoridation
process and to find details on your water
system's fluoridation, visit CDC's Community
Water Fluoridation
Consumer Confidence Reports
• Every community water supplier must provide an
annual report, sometimes called a Consumer
Confidence Report, or "CCR," to its customers. The
report provides information on your local drinking
water quality, including the water's source,
contaminants found in the water, and how
consumers can get involved in protecting drinking
water.
• View the CDC's guide to Understanding Consumer
Confidence Reports
• See if your CCR is posted online (United States
Environmental Protection Agency Local Drinking
Water Information)
Household Water Treatment
• Even though EPA regulates and sets standards for public drinking water,
many Americans use a home water treatment unit to:
• Remove specific contaminants
• Take extra precautions because a household member has a compromised
immune system
• Improve the taste of drinking water
• Household water treatment systems are composed of two categories: point-
of-use and point-of-entry (NSF). Point-of-entry systems are typically
installed after the water meter and treat most of the water entering a
residence. Point-of-use systems are systems that treat water in batches and
deliver water to a tap, such as a kitchen or bathroom sink or an auxiliary
faucet mounted next to a tap.
• The most common types of household water treatment systems consist of:
Filtration Systems
A water filter is a device which removes
impurities from water by means of a physical
barrier, chemical, and/or biological process.
Water Softeners
A water softener is a device that reduces the
hardness of the water. A water softener
typically uses sodium or potassium ions to
replace calcium and magnesium ions, the ions
that create "hardness."
Distillation Systems
Distillation is a process in which impure water is
boiled and the steam is collected and condensed
in a separate container, leaving many of the solid
contaminants behind.
Disinfection
Disinfection is a physical or chemical process in
which pathogenic microorganisms are deactivated
or killed. Examples of chemical disinfectants are
chlorine, chlorine dioxide, and ozone. Examples
of physical disinfectants include ultraviolet light,
electronic radiation, and heat.