drinking water

what is desalination?

desalination is the process of producing pure water from sea water by removing dissolved salts

why is simple distillation not suitable for producing large volumes of drinking water?

simple distillation is not efficient for large volumes because it requires a lot of energy, making it impractical for large-scale water production

what does chemical analysis involve?

chemical analysis involves using chemical reactions or sensitive machines to identify and measure the substances in a sample

why should the water used for chemical analysis be pure?

the water should be pure to avoid incorrect results during analysis

what could happen if tap water is used in chemical analysis?

tap water contains dissolved salts, which may react to form unexpected cloudy precipitates, potentially hiding the correct results

how can dissolved salts in water affect chemical analysis?

dissolved salts can react to form a cloudy preciptate during analysis, or be detected by machines - leading to incorrect conclusions or misleading results

what impurities can be found in fresh water from natural sources?

fresh water can contain:

• objects such as leaves and twigs

• small insoluble particles like grit and slit

• soluble substances, including salts, pesticides, and fertilisers

• bacteria and harmful microorganisms

what is the process of screening in water treatment?

screening involves using a sieve to remove larger objects, such as leaves and twigs, from the water

what is sedimentation in water treatment?

sedimentation is the process where small particles in the water are allowed to settle out by gravity

what is filtration in water treatment?

filtration uses tanks containing beds of sand and gravel to remove small particles from the water

what is chlorination in water treatment?

chlorination is the process of adding chlorine to the water, which kills harmful microorganisms

flowchart for water treatment

screening → sedimentation → filtration → chlorination → drinking water is stored in tower → water goes to homes and industry