Building a water treatment system requires a great deal of skill and analysis. It is important to understand the contaminants in your water supply, and which treatment methods can most effectively remove them. The following article provides basic guidelines you can use to ensure the water treatment system you build produces water that is safe for consumption.
Instructions
1. Test your water. You cannot effectively treat water until you understand the contaminants that are present in your water supply. Have water samples analyzed by a professional lab, looking for anything that could effect the taste or safety of the water. The safe drinking water guidlines issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provide a guidline for the types of contaminants you should look for. If the water will be consumed by the public, it must adhere to these guidelines.
2. Filter out large sediment. This is particularly crucial with a surface water supply. Your first filter may be a simple screen to eliminate dirt, debris, stones, and other large particles. You may want a more selective filter after the screen, but getting the large particles out of your water is the first priority. Larger, municipal treatment centers often use a chemical reaction to make larger particles drop out of the water, but for smaller-scale applications, filtering is appropriate.
3. Disinfect the water. At this point, the priority is to kill whatever living organisms, such as bacteria, are in the water. A chlorinator, which meters out controlled doses of chlorine, may be used. Other methods of disinfecting include ozone and ultraviolet radiation. Whatever you use, the goal should be to make the water safe for consumption.
4. Treat for additional contaminants. Remove any other problem contaminants revealed during testing. These contaminants can range from iron to arsenic to excessive hardness. Removing these contaminants could call for a variety of treatment equipment. You may install an ion exchange softener for hardening, a multi-stage reverse osmosis system, or perhaps some filter designed specifically for a contaminent. This process is dictated by what is in your water.
5. Test your water again. Run water through your system and take another sample for analysis. Because each component of the system has a job, you'll learn quickly if you did not install something correctly. If there is bacteria in the water, for example, take a look at your chlorination. If the water is still hard, make sure you set up the ion exchange softener correctly.
