Schematic of a Water-Treatment Plant

The processes of screening, sedimentation, precipitation, filtration, adsorption, and disinfection work together to remove the unwanted substances from our water supply, making it safe to drink and appropriate for other uses. Addition of other chemicals, such as fluoride, further enhance the quality of the water for drinking. Figure 9, below, depicts a flowchart showing how these processes work together. Once the water is treated, it is sent to storage chambers and then distributed to household consumers, businesses, and industries.

Figure 9 This flowchart shows the path that water takes from the intake of the water treatment plant (from the freshwater source) to the storage tank, from which it is pumped to homes, businesses, and industries. The specific steps and their sequence may vary somewhat from one treatment plant to another.

Related Practice Problems