Clean Water Treatment and the Developed Technology

Aside from doing wastewater treatment, the related parties must also carry out clean water treatment to ensure the safety and cleanliness of the water.

Clean water treatment is necessary to maintain public health and make the environment greener, especially with the increasing water and land pollution due to human activities.

Then, how do we do clean water treatment? This article discusses the clean water treatment system and why it is important. So, read the information below!

What Is Clean Water Treatment?

Clean water has become humans’ primary need, both for industrial and daily purposes. But, not all water can be used immediately because the quality and cleanliness are not certain yet.

Unicef in their study on 20,000 household drinking water sources in Indonesia reported that 70% of the water sources were polluted and could cause illness. Moreover, databoks revealed that more than 50% of households in Indonesia disposed of wastewater in gutters and rivers.

Therefore, clean water treatment must be done to ensure the water we use is clean and proper. Additionally, why do we need clean water treatment? The water we use must be processed to destroy particles and contaminants, whether biological, physical, or chemical.

This process can be challenging because it must be certain that water is free from solid particles, harmful chemicals, and microorganisms as well as removes them efficiently.

As a result, the processed water has no odor, no color, no sediment, is clear, and is safe for use. In addition, you should study the turbidity, pH of the water, and physicochemical properties to choose the right water treatment method.

Clean Water Treatment Processes

The clean water treatment processes can be different in every facility due to the water condition and the technology used.

In general, clean water processes can be carried out using the main methods, such as chemical, physical, and biological. Each method has its own function in removing contaminants in water. Here are the explanations:

1. Physical Method

The physical method focuses on removing visible contaminants, such as sand, small pebbles, and so on. That is why this method uses filtration and sedimentation. Here is the complete information:

a. Filtration

Filtration is the process of filtering physical particles in the water, such as small gravels and sand. Filtration is done initially to make the next steps more efficient. Nowadays, there are many filtration technologies emerge, such as:

Nanofiltration: The filtration process uses nano-pored filters to clean the water from small particles, like heavy metals and bacteria.
Ultrafiltration: It uses larger pored filters compared to nanofiltration. Ultrafiltration works to refine water from microorganisms.
Membrane filtration: It separates pollutants based on their physical properties and sizes, making it able to filter microscopic particles.

b. Sedimentation

Sedimentation is treating water by settling solid particles at the bottom of the container. Separating them from the water. It is typically used to lower the water turbidity and prepare it for the next step.

You can use dynamic sedimentation technology or a lamella clarifier. Dynamic sedimentation is the settling of the water using mechanical tools to make the particles separate rapidly from the water.

Moreover, the lamella clarifier is a sedimentation technology designed to be tilted, increasing the surface for sedimentation, where particles will settle in a smaller and tilted space. This technology is also designed to speed up the sedimentation process.

2. Chemical Method

The chemical method is used to add chemicals to the water for disinfecting and clumping the particles. Below is the information:

a. Chlorination

Chlorination is adding chlorine to the water to get rid of hazardous microorganisms, viruses, and bacteria. It is considered a conventional method commonly used in clean water treatment. Yet, chlorine must be used in the right measure to remain safe.

b. Adding Coagulants

This method adds coagulants, like polymer or alum, to clump the small particles, making it easier to filter. This process can make the sedimentation process more effective and reduce water turbidity.

Other than chlorination and adding coagulants, the disinfection method can be carried out without chemicals, such as using ultraviolet rays and electricity (electrochemical).

3. Biological Method

The biological method is used to break the pollutants organically and naturally. Some procedures you can take are biofiltration and constructed wetlands.

Biofiltration uses biological processes (microorganisms) to break the organic contaminants in the water without harmful chemicals. On the other hand, constructed wetlands use microbes and plants to clean the water.

In addition to those common methods, clean water treatment can be continued to the next steps, such as:

Sludge drying bed: The sedimentation sludge will be filtered and dried in the drying bed.
Water fluoridation: Adding fluoride in a controlled manner to increase the fluoride content in water which can prevent tooth decay.
pH correction: Water that has passed clean water treatment must have its pH checked to ensure that the water has a stable pH and is not corrosive. Corrosive water can damage pipes. The pH correction process is usually done by mixing lime compounds with water.

Other Clean Water Treatment Technologies

Other than the common method above, some technologies below are also widely used in many clean water treatment facilities:

1. Reverse Osmosis

Reverse osmosis or RO is the water treatment technology using a semipermeable membrane to remove ions, pollutants, and minerals. Because the technology is quite advanced, this method is often used to purify water and desalinate seawater.

As time goes by, RO is developed to create more durable membranes and more resistant to other contaminants, creating low-pressure systems for energy efficiency, and developing energy recovery systems to reduce excessive energy consumption.

2. Aeration

Aeration introduces oxygen to the water to make a certain biological process happen. Aeration can break organic materials and increase the water quality.

Nowadays, aeration is developed using a more efficient diffuser system to distribute oxygen evenly and control the oxygenation automatically to prevent much energy.

3. Ion Exchange

This technology exchanges the hazardous ion with the safer one. Some ion exchange technologies implemented are more efficient ion exchange resin development and eco-friendly resin regeneration.

Those are information about clean water treatment you can learn. To use water safely and conveniently, the right water treatment is needed.

Regarding this, the Chandra Asri Group-affiliated company, Krakatau Tirta Industri developed a clean water solution by operating Demin Water Treatment Plants, Wastewater Treatment Plants, and Water Recycle Plants.

Krakatau Tirta Industri uses biological treatment, ultrafiltration, membrane, and ion exchange in the process and ensures that the water is ready to use for public and industry.

So, for reliable clean water treatment, trust Krakatau Tirta Industri!