BUILDING SERVICES - I

Submitted by :

Aakanksha Puranik

III Year V Sem ‘A’

Quality of potable water

For:

SOA, IPS

Academy

POTABLE WATER

Potable water is water that has been either treated, cleaned or filtered and meets established drinking water standards or is assumed to be reasonably free of harmful bacteria and contaminants, and considered safe to drink or use in cooking and baking. Examples of potable water would be that from treated municipal water systems, water that has been UV filtered, water distilled, or purified by reverse osmosis.

Non-potable water is generally all raw water that is untreated, such as that from lakes, rivers, ground water, springs and ground wells. Such water is not considered potable or safe to drink. Without proper water testing, a body of water carries unknown contaminants and is deemed to be non-potable. Although it may taste fine, drinking such water carries uncertain health risks. 

NON-POTABLE WATER

WATER QUALITY

• Water quality is the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water.

• The vast majority of surface water on the planet is neither potable(fit for drinking) nor toxic.

• Approximately 25% of the world’s population has no access to potable water.• No simple property can tell whether water is polluted or not.

Industrial pollution is a major cause of water pollution. Also runoff from agricultural areas, urban storm water

runoff and discharge of untreated sewage (especially in developing countries).

SOURCES OF WATER POLLUTION

Industrial discharge of chemical wastes and byproducts Discharge of poorly-treated or untreated sewage Surface runoff containing pesticides or fertilizers Slash and burn farming practice, which is often an

element within shifting cultivation agricultural systems Surface runoff containing spilled petroleum products Surface runoff from construction sites, farms, or paved

and other impervious surfacesDischarge of contaminated and/or heated water used for

industrial processes

Acid rain caused by industrial discharge of sulfur dioxide (by burning high-sulfur fossil fuels)

Eutrophication by runoff containing detergents or fertilizers

Underground storage tank leakage, leading to soil contamination, and hence aquifer contamination

Inappropriate disposal of various solid wastes and, on a localized scale, littering

Oil spills

POLLUTANTS

WATER CONTAMINTION

• Previously treated potable water can also become contaminated and no longer considered potable or drinkable water. 

• Water which is not safe to drink can carry diseases and heavy metals. People who consume this water will become ill, and there is a risk of death.

• Contaminants that may be in untreated water include:i. microorganisms (viruses and bacteria)ii. inorganic contaminants (salts and metals)iii. pesticides and herbicidesiv. sedimentsv. organic chemical contaminants from industrial

processes and petroleum usevi. radioactive contaminants.

• Water quality depends on the local geology and ecosystem, as well as human uses (sewage dispersion, industrial pollution, use of water bodies as a heat sink)

WATER REGULATIONS

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates limits on the amount of certain contaminants in the water

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limits contaminants in bottled water

Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of these contaminants does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk.

WATER TESTS

• Electrical conductivity• Dissolved Oxygen(DO) • pH • Color of water • Taste and odor (geosmin, 2-methylisoborneol (MIB), etc) • Turbidity • Total suspended solids (TSS) • Dissolved metals and salts (sodium, chloride, potassium,

calcium, manganese, magnesium) • Chemical oxygen demand (COD) • Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) • Microorganisms such as fecal coliform bacteria (Escherichia

coli), Cryptosporidium, and Giardia lamblia • Nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus • Dissolved metals and metalloids (lead, Mercury

(element),arsenic, etc.) • Dissolved organics: Colored Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM),

Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) • Temperature • Pesticides • Heavy Metals • Pharmaceuticals • Hormone analogs

Temperature

• Determine types of organisms that can live in water• Affects how much oxygen water can hold

Warm water holds less oxygen• Thermal Pollution (increased water temperature)

i. decreasing oxygen supplyii. killing fish juveniles which are vulnerable to small

increases in temperatureiii. affecting ecosystem composition.

Dissolved Oxygen

• Measure of the amount of oxygen dissolved in water• Measurement for outdoor bodies of water

More DO generally relates to “healthier” water (oxygen necessary for most aquatic species to breath)

• Related to Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) how fast biological organisms use up oxygen in a body of

water

pH

• Potential of Hydrogen – measures hydrogen concentration in water

• 7.0 is neutral on scale of 0 – 14

• Can affect how chemicals dissolve in water

Representative pH values

Substance pH

Hydrochloric Acid, 10M -1.0

Lead-acid battery 0.5

Gastric acid 1.5 – 2.0

Lemon juice 2.4

Cola 2.5

Vinegar 2.9

Orange or apple juice 3.5

Tomato Juice 4.0

Beer 4.5

Acid Rain <5.0

Coffee 5.0

Tea or healthy skin 5.5

Urine 6.0

Milk 6.5

Pure Water 7.0

Healthy human saliva 6.5 – 7.4

Blood 7.34 – 7.45

Seawater 7.7 – 8.3

Hand soap 9.0 – 10.0

Household ammonia 11.5

Bleach 12.5

Household lye 13.5

Nutrients

• Eutrophication, strictly speaking, means an increase in chemical nutrients (typically nitrogen and phosphorus)

• Resultant increase in primary productivity • excessive plant growth and decay

• Further impacts, including lack of oxygen and severe reductions in water quality and in fish and other animal populations.

Turbidity / Total Suspended Solids

• Amount of particulate matter in water• Related to sediment, phytoplankton and nutrients in water• Turbidity reflects matter visible to naked eye (measured

with secchi disk)• TSS collects dissolved material (filtered) measured as

weight

Salinity

• Dissolved salt content in water• Influences organisms that can live in that area• Oceans are about 35 ppt or so

Water salinity

Fresh water

Brackish water

Saline water Brine

< 0.05 % 0.05 - 3 % 3 - 5 % > 5 %

< 500 ppm

500 - 30 000 ppm

30 000 - 50 000 ppm

> 50 000 ppm

Heavy Metals

• Living organisms require trace amounts of some heavy metals, including iron, cobalt, copper, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, strontium, and zinci. excessive levels can be detrimental to the organism.

• Other heavy metals such as mercury, lead and cadmium are toxic metals i. they have no known vital or beneficial effect on organismsii. their accumulation over time in the bodies of mammals

can cause serious illness

Micro-organisms

• E. coli (fecal coliform bacteria) can generally cause several intestinal and extra-intestinal infections

• Cryptosporidium is a protozoan pathogen and causes a diarrheal illness called cryptosporidiosis

• Giardia lamblia is a flagellated protozoan parasite that colonises and reproduces in the small intestine, causing giardiasis. Symptoms of include diarrhea, malaise, excessive gas, etc

Other stuff

• Pesticides - bactericides, fungicides herbicides, insecticides (DDT)

• Radioactive Materials• A lot of this information pertains to soil testing as well.

Biotic vs. Abiotic• Abiotic components are non-living chemical and physical

factors in the environment. The six major abiotic factors are water, sunlight, oxygen,

temperature, soil and climate.

• Biotic means relating to, produced by, or caused by living organisms.

Biotic v/s Abiotic- list

• Salinity• Dissolved Oxygen(DO) • pH • Color of water • Turbidity • Total suspended solids (TSS) • Dissolved metals and salts• Chemical oxygen demand (COD) • Biochemical oxygen demand

(BOD) • Nutrients• Dissolved metals • Temperature • Pesticides • Heavy Metals • Pharmaceuticals • Hormone analogs

• Microorganisms such as fecal coliform bacteria (Escherichia coli), Cryptosporidium, and Giardia lamblia

• Dissolved organics: Colored Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM), Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC)

• Number of species

STANDARDS

In the setting of standards, agencies make political and technical/scientific decisions about how the water will be used. In the case of natural water bodies, they also make some reasonable estimate of pristine conditions. Different uses raise different concerns and therefore different standards are considered. Natural water bodies will vary in response to environmental conditions.

HUMAN CONSUMPTION

Some people use water purification technology to remove contaminants from the municipal water supply they get in their homes, or from local pumps or bodies of water. Water drawn directly from a stream, lake, or aquifer and has no treatment will be of uncertain quality.

Easy steps used by people at homes:

• Distillation• Boiling• Filters• Domestic filters• Use of Chemicals

Purification at home

IMPORTANT WATER ANALYSIS EQUIPMENTS

• Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOC)A total organic carbon analyzer determines the amount of carbon in a water sample. There are two types of analyzers. One uses combustion and the other chemical oxidation.

• pH AnalyzerWater pH testers and analyzers help analyze pH levels and detect faults in systems with electronic pH meters.

• Water Desalination EquipmentThe parameters measured in Desalination instruments include Alkalinity, (COD), Conductivity, Dissolved Oxygen, Water Hardness, Iron, Manganese, Turbidity in water etc.

• ORP MetersORP meters measure the very small voltages generated when the measuring probe is placed in water in the presence of an oxidizing agent.

WATER PURIFICATION

Water purification is the process of removing undesirable chemicals, biological contaminants, suspended solids and gases from contaminated water. The goal is to produce water fit for a specific purpose. Most water is purified for human consumption but water purification may also be designed for a variety of other purposes, including meeting the requirements of medical, pharmacological, chemical and industrial applications.

1 Pre-treatment

pH adjustment2 Coagulation and flocculation3 Sedimentation4 Dissolved air flotation5 Filtration

Rapid sand filters Slow sand filters

6 Membrane filtration7 Removal of ions and other dissolved substances8 Disinfection

PROCEDURE

• Contaminant free The water is filtered of unhealthy toxins, including synthetic chemicals, toxic metals, bacteria and viruses, radioactive substances, and other treatment additives such as chlorine and fluoride

• Mineral rich The natural occurring minerals in the source water are not removed through purification processes, such as reverse osmosis and distillation.

• Alkaline pH The drinking water has an alkaline pH between 7.0 and 9.5, which means that the water contains a healthy level of alkaline minerals such as calcium and magnesium.

• Micro-clustered Water that is electrolyzed or "reduced" will have smaller groupings of water molecules. Drinking reduced water can improve cellular hydration and cell-water turnover (i.e., nutrients into the cells and toxins out)

• Anti-oxidant Water that is ionized has a negative oxidation reduction potential (-ORP) and thus acts to neutralize free radicals in the body and slows the oxidation (i.e., aging) process in the body.

• Good taste. If it doesn't taste good, you'll simply won't drink enough water to stay hydrated enough to optimize the health benefits

BEST POTABLE WATER QUALITIES

http://en.wikipedia.orghttp://www.who.inthttp://www.waterbenefitshealth.comhttp://www.groundwatertnpwd.org.in

SOURCES