water treatment

Treating water to make it drinkable is the most delicate part of the system. The type of treatment is very varied depending on the quality of the raw water. A complete drinking water treatment plant generally consists of the following components:.

• - Grate "Grave (hydraulic)") for retaining coarse material, both floating and bottom trawling.

• - Fine size sand trap, to retain the suspended material.

• - Flocculators"), where chemicals are added that facilitate the decantation of substances in colloidal suspension and very fine materials in general.

• - Decanters, or settlers") that separate an important part of the fine material.

• - Filters, which finish removing the suspended material.

• - Disinfection device").

In special cases, depending on the quality of the water, special treatments must be considered to render these waters drinkable, such as:

• - Reverse osmosis.

• - Treatment through ion exchange.

• - Filters with activated carbon.

Obviously these treatments make drinking water more expensive and are only applied when there is no other solution.

Storage of treated water

The storage of treated water has the function of compensating for hourly variations in consumption, and storing a strategic volume for emergency situations, such as fires. There are two types of tanks for treated water, tanks resting on the ground and elevated tanks, each equipped with a dispenser or hypochlorinator to treat it and make it suitable for human consumption.

From the point of view of their location in relation to the distribution network, they are distinguished into header tanks and tail tanks:

• - The header tanks are located upstream of the network they feed. All water distributed in the network must necessarily pass through the header tank.

• - The tail tanks, as their name suggests, are located at the opposite end of the network, in relation to the point where the adduction line reaches the network. Not all the water distributed through the network passes through the tail tank.

Distribution network

The distribution line generally begins in the treated water tank. It consists of:

• - Pumping stations.

• - Main, secondary and tertiary pipes.

• - Intermediate storage tanks.

• - Valves that allow the network to operate, and sectorize the supply in exceptional cases, such as: in cases of ruptures and in cases of emergencies due to water shortage.

• - Devices for macro and micro measurement. One of several types of volume meters is used for this.

• - Home referrals.

Drinking water distribution networks in towns and cities are generally networks that form closed rings. In contrast, water distribution networks in dispersed rural communities are branched.

Raw water storage

The storage of raw water becomes necessary when the water source does not have a sufficient flow rate throughout the year to supply the necessary amount of water. To store water from rivers or streams that do not guarantee the necessary flow at all times, reservoirs are built.

In systems that use groundwater, the aquifer functions as a true storage tank, most of the time with natural recharge, however there are cases in which the recharge of the aquifers is done through special hydraulic works.

water treatment

Treating water to make it drinkable is the most delicate part of the system. The type of treatment is very varied depending on the quality of the raw water. A complete drinking water treatment plant generally consists of the following components:.

• - Grate "Grave (hydraulic)") for retaining coarse material, both floating and bottom trawling.

• - Fine size sand trap, to retain the suspended material.

• - Flocculators"), where chemicals are added that facilitate the decantation of substances in colloidal suspension and very fine materials in general.

• - Decanters, or settlers") that separate an important part of the fine material.

• - Filters, which finish removing the suspended material.

• - Disinfection device").

In special cases, depending on the quality of the water, special treatments must be considered to render these waters drinkable, such as:

• - Reverse osmosis.

• - Treatment through ion exchange.

• - Filters with activated carbon.

Obviously these treatments make drinking water more expensive and are only applied when there is no other solution.

Storage of treated water

The storage of treated water has the function of compensating for hourly variations in consumption, and storing a strategic volume for emergency situations, such as fires. There are two types of tanks for treated water, tanks resting on the ground and elevated tanks, each equipped with a dispenser or hypochlorinator to treat it and make it suitable for human consumption.

From the point of view of their location in relation to the distribution network, they are distinguished into header tanks and tail tanks:

• - The header tanks are located upstream of the network they feed. All water distributed in the network must necessarily pass through the header tank.

• - The tail tanks, as their name suggests, are located at the opposite end of the network, in relation to the point where the adduction line reaches the network. Not all the water distributed through the network passes through the tail tank.

Distribution network

The distribution line generally begins in the treated water tank. It consists of:

• - Pumping stations.

• - Main, secondary and tertiary pipes.

• - Intermediate storage tanks.

• - Valves that allow the network to operate, and sectorize the supply in exceptional cases, such as: in cases of ruptures and in cases of emergencies due to water shortage.

• - Devices for macro and micro measurement. One of several types of volume meters is used for this.

• - Home referrals.

Drinking water distribution networks in towns and cities are generally networks that form closed rings. In contrast, water distribution networks in dispersed rural communities are branched.