Ablao, Bebelyn G. - BSET4A - ESE - Week 7
Ablao, Bebelyn G. - BSET4A - ESE - Week 7
CYS: BSET4A
1. Define potable and palatable and explain why we must provide drinking
water that is both potable and palatable.
Potable water is water that meets the quality standards for consumption of
the state, local, or federal authorities. It comes from surface and ground sources,
such as springs, rivers, or wastewater treatment plants. It is treated to remove
contaminants and harmful microorganisms, bacteria, chemicals, viruses, and fecal
matter. It can be purified by various methods, such as reverse osmosis or UV
filtration.
Palatable water is water that is pleasant to drink. It is at a desirable
temperature, completely transparent and free from tastes, odors and colors but is
not necessarily free from disease-causing agents.
We must provide drinking water that is both potable and palatable because
it helps reduce waterborne diseases and fosters healthy living. Drinking water
quality guidelines and regulations ensure that all human beings within a country
have access to safe drinking water.
3. List and describe the four categories of water quality for drinking water.
Potable water: It is safe to drink, pleasant to taste, and usable for domestic
purposes.
1
Palatable water: It is esthetically pleasing; it considers the presence of chemicals
that do not cause a threat to human health. It is pleasant to taste but may not be
safe to drink.
Contaminated (polluted) water: It is that water containing unwanted physical,
chemical, biological, or radiological substances, and it is unfit for drinking or
domestic purposes.
Infected water: It is contaminated with pathogenic organism that can cause
disease
4. Sketch a typical surface water treatment plant, label all its parts, and explain
their functions.
2
5. Sketch a water-softening plant, label all its parts, and explain their functions.
It is important to note that the use of chlorine as a disinfectant has been shown
to be effective against many types of bacteria and viruses. However, it is important
to follow the instructions on the label when using chlorine bleach or other
disinfectants.
3
7. A groundwater supply is odorous from the presence of H 2 S. Describe how
you would arrange for this to be eliminated.
There are several methods to remove hydrogen sulfide (H2S) from well water. One
of the most common methods is aeration. Hydrogen sulfide exists as a gas suspended
in the water. This gas may either be naturally occurring or it may be the byproduct of
certain species of otherwise harmless bacteria. Aeration involves injecting air into the
water and allowing the gas to escape.
Another method is catalytic carbon filtration. Many homes with wells already make
use of filtration systems to remove physical contaminants from water. Catalytic carbon
filtration can remove H2S from well water.
Ion exchange is another method that can be used to remove H2S from well water.
This method involves exchanging hydrogen ions for other ions in the water that are
less harmful.
9. Explain the process of reverse osmosis using figures to aid your explanation.
Reverse osmosis (RO) is a water purification process
that removes ions, unwanted molecules and larger
particles from drinking water using a partially permeable
membrane. As a result, the solute is kept on the
membrane’s pressurized side and the pure solvent is
allowed to pass to the other side. Reverse Osmosis
works by using a high-pressure pump to increase the pressure on the salt side of the
RO and force the water across the semipermeable RO membrane, leaving almost all
(around 95 to 99 %) dissolved salts in the reject stream behind.
4
10. Explain why a disinfectant that has a residual is preferable to one that does
not.
Disinfectants that have a residual are preferable to those that do not because they
can provide long-lasting protection against bacteria and other pathogens. Disinfectant
residuals are commonly maintained within drinking water distribution systems to limit
microbial regrowth in the bulk water during transportation, thus protecting water quality
(and public health). In addition, disinfectant residuals in drinking water protect water
quality and public health by limiting planktonic microbial regrowth during distribution.
In general, disinfectants with residual benefits can provide sustained persistent
antimicrobial benefits in products for the control of microorganisms after
environmental insult.