Water Pollution — The Justification For Wastewater Treatment

Water as a chemical:

Pure water is a compound of hydrogen and oxygen. It is colorless, odorless and tasteless. It

exists as liquid at ambient temperature.

Water – what it contains:

Water has both living and non-living organisms and substances in it. The living organisms can be

further subdivided into macro- and micro- organisms. Macro organisms, which are biological, are

those that are visible to the naked eye or can be seen through a microscope.

In contrast, microbiological micro-organisms are not visible even through a microscope.

Water quality criteria:

The quality of water is a function of several factors. These include its source, location, geological

conditions, depth of water level, seasonal changes, domestic activity, agricultural activity,

industrial activity, etc.

Excessive exploitation of natural resources and the use of technological advances with no

concern for the ecology adversely affect air, water and land, alike.

The substances present in water can be classified as floating matter and suspended matter.

Floating matter takes the form of leaves, twigs, dead organisms and algae. Examples of

suspended matter present in water are silt, clay, decaying vegetable matter, bacteria,

microorganisms, algae, insoluble iron, and manganese.

There are also dissolved impurities which include gases like carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide,

etc., as well as chemical substances, minerals and salts.

Water sources and water quality:

Water quality differs according to the source. For instance, the turbidity in surface water is

usually high, while ground water and sub-soil water on river beds are colorless and clear. Again,

sub-soil water and ground water are more likely to have totally dissolved solids than surface

water. The presence of hardness, alkalinity, fluoride, chloride and nitrate are all more likely in

ground water than in surface level or sub-soil water. Bacteria and organic matter are more likely

to be found in surface level water than in ground or sub-soil water.

Water pollution:

Water is essential for living, just like air. One may live without air for a few minutes. But, without

water, one is sure to die within a few days. We all know about air pollution. Water pollution is

also the gift of modern man to posterity.

How water gets polluted:

Pollution of water sources is caused by sewage and sullage from human settlements, dumping of

solid wastes, wastewater from industries, and chemicals in agriculture. When foreign materials

harmful to us are added, the water is sure to get polluted. Two readily such foreign materials

that come readily to mind are industrial waste and sewage from cities.

Why we need good water:

We need good water for drinking by humans and animals, supporting aquatic life, generating

electric power, irrigating crops in fields, and recreation such as water-based sports.

Thus the need for wastewater treatment can never be overemphasized.

Author Bio:

Richard J. Runion is the President of Geostar Publishing & Services LLC. Rich loves net research &

blogging. His new blog on waste wateris fast becoming popular, as it is comprehensive and well-

researched. To know more about wastewater treatment, click here:http://www.all-about-

wastewater-treatment.com .

This has also been published as: water quality on Zimbio