Water Supply and Treatment Overview

These flashcards cover key concepts related to water supply and treatment processes outlined in the lecture notes.

What are the three principal factors that control global water deficits and surpluses?

Atmospheric circulation, proximity to water resources, and topography.

What are the five major water compartments?

Oceans, glaciers, groundwater, rivers/lakes/wetlands, and atmosphere.

What is the primary purpose of water treatment?

To provide potable water that is safe for human consumption and meets quality standards.

What are the main processes involved in water treatment?

Rapid mixing, flocculation, coagulation, softening, sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection.

What factors affect the effectiveness of chlorination in water disinfection?

Dosage, contact time, turbidity, presence of ammonia, pH level, and water temperature.

What is the benefit of softening water?

It reduces dissolved minerals and scale-forming tendencies, and removes certain contaminants.

What are the two types of water sources?

Surface water and groundwater.

What is flocculation?

The process of agitating chemically treated water to induce the aggregation of suspended particles into larger flocs for removal.

What is one alternative method of disinfection besides chlorination?

Ozonation or UV light treatment.

What are the steps in developing a water distribution system?

Identifying sources, determining water quantity/quality, estimating user needs, determining infrastructure, assessing environmental impact, and estimating costs.