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Is it safe to drink treated water?

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Question added by Roba Al-Assi , Brand and Communications Director , Bayt.com
Date Posted: 2013/05/15
Mohamed Abdrabo Ibraheem Fadol
by Mohamed Abdrabo Ibraheem Fadol , ACADEMIC RESEARCHER , KING SAUD UNIVERSITY

Water treatment and distribution is the process by which water is taken from water resources, made suitable for use and then transported to the consumer.
This is the first half of the human or urban water cycle, before water is actually used by the consumer.
The second half of the cycle is the collection, treatment and disposal of used water (sewage) .
The objective of water treatment is to produce an adequate and continuous supply of water that is chemically, bacteriologically and aesthetically pleasing.
More specifically, water treatment must produce water that is: 1.
Palatable – that is, has no unpleasant taste; 2.
Safe – it should not contain any pathogenic organism or chemical that could be harmful to the consumer; 3.
Clear – be free from suspended matter and turbidity; 4.
Colourless and odourless – be aesthetic to drink; 5.
Reasonably soft – to allow consumers to wash clothes, dishes and themselves without excessive use of detergents or soaps; 6.
Non-corrosive – water should not be corrosive to pipework or encourage leaching of metals from pipes or tanks; 7.
Low in organic content – a high organic content will encourage unwanted biological growth in pipes or storage tanks, which can affect the quality of the water supplied.
Surface water treatment includes coagulation, flocculation and solid sedimentation in the first stages.
Coagulation and flocculation processes are necessary to remove solids that may include minerals, organic materials and bacteria.
Heavier solids will settle out of the water by sedimentation, but suspended solids are removed through physical and chemical treatment.
Chemicals are added to raw water to cause coagulation.
The coagulants bind the solid particles and draw them together forming floc that settle out of water.
Coagulants include metallic salts such as aluminum sulfate (Alum), poly aluminum chloride, ferrous sulfate and synthetic polymers.
Removing these solids reduces the filtration load and prevents bacteria from surviving.
.
Chlorine is a dangerous chemical, usually stored in cylinders as a concentrated liquid and is released directly into the water in measured amounts to provide disinfection.
Prechlorination of source water prior to treatment is also useful in controlling algae growth, improving taste and odours.
Post-chlorination is the addition of chlorine to the water after treatment.
Drinking water should be sufficiently chlorinated to maintain a minimum concentration of 2 mg/l throughout the distribution system.
However, chlorine may combine with organics to form trihalomethanes which are carcinogenic.
For this reason, other disinfectants such as iodine, bromine, lime and ozone are attracting great interest.
Destroying pathogens by using ultraviolet rays is also effective, although very expensive, So if water treated perfectly and if it is within the standard set by local and national organization (WHO, FAO, USEPA and UNESCO) it will be safe for drinking.
IN BOTTLED WATER TREATMENT PLANT (WTP) must use IRON EXCHANGE and REVERES OSMOSIS SYSTEM (RO) and water must disinfected by OZONE and UV to avoid the reaction between chlorine and plastic which form disinfection by product (DBP).
RO SYSTEM:
1- When two water separate by semipermeable membrane water will flow from the side of low solution concentration to the side of high solution concentration.
2-The flow stopped at equilibrium point (Osmosis pressure).
3-External pressure applied to the side of high concentration, this phenomenon called Reverse Osmosis, the flow be from the side of high concentration to the side of low concentration.
4-Anti scale as calcium sulfate added to avoid explosion and to activate semi permeable membrane, Water safety plans (WSPs) have been used for many years to improve water quality control strategies, in conjunction with excreta disposal and personal hygiene, to deliver sustainable health gains within the population.

Eldaw Ibrahim Mustafa Naseeh
by Eldaw Ibrahim Mustafa Naseeh , مديرقسم جودة وخدمات المياه , شركة كهرباء سدمروي المحدودة

this depend on final quality of water and disinfiction olso the source of water tob treated  

محمد زهير محمد عرجان
by محمد زهير محمد عرجان , مسؤول قسم الادوات الكهربائية والمنزلية , المخازن الامريكية التجارية

Yes, provided they pass on all united water treatment and not to avoid any process and make sure they pass on the most important unit, a unit filters and carbon unit (R.O) because the water before these units are dedicated solely to the production of steam and cooling and other processes

Rashid Majeed Choudary
by Rashid Majeed Choudary , Site Engineer (Civil) , Al-Ramis Contracting llc

yes

safe to drink

treated water removes pathogens bacteria, odor etc

Mohsin iqbal
by Mohsin iqbal , Assistant Engineer , Mott Macdonald Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd

yes it is

water quality anlaysis should be properly done and then treated properly before drinking purpose

abubaker  mekki
by abubaker mekki , chemical engineer , Sudanese thermal power generating co.ltd

absolutely no shoud be check first parameters  because the water treatment divided to potable water and deminerlization water for industrails 

Mushtaq Ahmad
by Mushtaq Ahmad , QA/QC Engineer , University of Qassim

yes it is very safe  if its proper treated.

venkatarao  polina
by venkatarao polina , Head Of Operations , DEEP C BLUE CO., LTD.

water treatment is necessary for safe drinking to human beings in public water supply

Faheem Asghar
by Faheem Asghar , Field Geologist , KPOGDCL

it depends upon the treatment of water means which type of treatment on the water we performed. if we are getting water from fresh water source then no treatment is needed other then removal of hardness by mean of heating heat treated water is good for drinking

Hesham Bassiouny
by Hesham Bassiouny , Senior Proposal Engineer , WETICO/Saudi Berkefeld Water & Environment

if the treated water meets the drinking water standards. 

kawa Agha
by kawa Agha , wash and shelter infra.Team leader , Danish refugee council DRC

if treated very well and passed water test???yes

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