Typical Municipal Water Treatment System

First Line

Source → Screens → Pump → Meter → Aeration

Source Examples

Rivers, lakes, reservoirs

What do the screens do?

Removes fish, logs, etc.

What does the pump do?

Increases water head

What does the meter do?

Measures the water through put

What does aeration do?

Removes VOCs and adds O₂

Second Line

Chemical Addition, Flocculation, Sedimentation

What does the first chemical addition do?

Odor control, particle coagulation, and chemical precipitation

What does flocculation do?

Involves slow mixing to promote particle aggregation

What occurs at sedimentation?

Coarse particle removal, and treat and dispose of sludge

Last Line

Sand filtration → activated carbon → chemical addition → distribution system

What does sand filtration do?

Small Particle Removal

What does activated carbon do?

Sorption of trace organics

What is the role of the last chemical addition?

Adds fluoride to prevent tooth decay, chlorine for disinfection, and pH control to prevent corrosion.