Treatment of water delivered to homes is crucial to ensure that what is supplied by Municipalities contains safe and quality water. To this end, one can add various substances during the industrial water treatment to discharge contaminants, enhance water quality and safeguard the public's health. They are designed to remove microorganisms, chemicals, and even physical particles and impurities in the air. Now, it is about time we walk through several essential reagents typically applied in municipal water treatment and how they contribute to making water safe.

Coagulants and Flocculants

The first stage in water treatment processes in municipalities is ordinarily carried out by the addition of coagulants as well as flocculants to filter sediments. Coagulants, including aluminum sulfate or ferric chloride, cause the charged dirt, clay and organic particles to combine with other similarly charged particles to form large flocs. The flocculants then ‘coagulate’ these little clumps, allowing them to be removed from the water more easily through sedimentation or filtration. This process is equally used in industrial water treatment, where production water is treated.

Disinfectants

Disinfectants are applied in water treatment to eliminate damaging pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. Chlorine is a commonly used disinfectant because it can kill almost every pathogen. Other disinfectants comprise chloramine and ozone, which are used instead of chlorine since the latter form DBPs, which are unfavorable for most establishments. Disinfectants get dosed at the proper levels to eliminate unsafe waterborne diseases, making the water safe for human consumption.

Read More: Explore How Municipal Equipment Transforms Industrial Wastewater Treatment

pH Adjusters

Proper water pH is crucial for safety and to protect the structures; chemicals used to increase or decrease the acidity and alkalinity of water are the pH adjusters: lime (calcium hydroxide) or sodium bicarbonate. It assists in keeping the pipes from rusting and also helps disinfectants to do their work correctly.

Fluoride

To promote oral health and prevent dental diseases, busy municipalities tend to add a certain amount of fluoride to the water. In moderation, fluoride can provide communities resistance to dental caries by limiting demineralization and enhancing the surface texture of the enamel. However, the practice of adding fluoride compounds to water supplies, known as fluoridation, has been supported by many health organizations but has also raised safety and personal preference issues.

Wrapping Up

Thus, the matter added during municipal water treatment mainly has essential functions affecting the quality of a water supply. Some of the procedures used in municipal water treatment are almost similar to those used in industrial water treatment, making these methods vital for public health, safety, and industrial use.

Read it:How Do Municipal Water Treatment Systems Purify Your Drinking Water?