Drinking Water Supply and

Health

Engineered Water Systems

Water and Health

80% of sickness in the world is caused by
inadequate water supply or sanitation
40% of the world population does not have
access to safe drinking water
It is estimated that water-borne diseases
kill 25,000 people per day
In many populated areas of the world,
water-borne diseases represent the
leading cause of death

Malaysian Interim Water Quality

Standards (INWQS)
Table 1: Water Use Classes in the National Water Quality Standards
Updated 2008
Class
CLASS I

CLASS IIA
CLASS IIB
CLASS III

CLASS IV
CLASS V

Uses
Conservation of natural environment water supply 1
- practically no treatment necessary.
Fishery 1 - very sensitive aquatic species
Water Supply II - conventional treatment required
Fishery ll - sensitive aquatic species
Recreational use with body contact
Water Supply lll - extensive treatment required
Fishery lll - common, of economic value, and
tolerant species livestock drinking
Irrigation
None of the above

Malaysia : National Guidelines for

Raw Drinking Water Quality
Table 2 : National Guidelines for Raw Drinking Water
Quality (Revised December 2000)
Parameter
Sulphate
Hardness
Nitrate
Coliform
Manganese
Chromium
Zinc
Arsenic
Selenium
Chloride
Phenolics
TDS
Iron
Copper
Lead
Cadmium
Mercury

Symbol
SO4
CaCO3SO
NO3SO
-

Benchmark
250 mg/l
500 mg/l
10 mg/l
Must not be detected in any 100 ml sample

Mn
Cr
Zn
As
Se
Cl
Fe
Cu
Pb
Cd
Hg

0.1 mg/l
0.05 mg/l
3 mg/l
0.01 mg/l
0.01 mg/l
250 mg/l
0.002 mg/l
1000 mg/l
0.3 mg/l
1.0 mg/l
0.01 mg/l
0.003 mg/l
0.001 mg

Sizes of Particles in Water

Palatable vs. Potable

Palatable
aesthetically pleasing
considers the presence of chemicals that do
not pose a threat to human health
palatability affected by chloride, color,
corrosivity, iron, manganese, taste and odor,
total dissolved solids, turbidity

Potable Water
Potable
safe to drink
not necessarily aesthetically pleasing
potability affected by
microbials (e.g. Giardia, Cryptosporidium)
organic chemicals (e.g., alachor, chlordane,
cis-1,2-dichloroethylene, disinfection byproducts)
inorganic chemicals (e.g., cadmium, copper,
lead, mercury)
radionuclides

Palatable and Potable

The goal of municipal water treatment is to
provide water that is both palatable and
potable
Palatability and Potability regulated under
Safe Drinking Water Act
Palatability: Secondary Maximum Contaminant
Levels (SMCLs)
Potability: Primary Maximum Contaminant Levels
(MCLs) - (for systems serving more than 25
persons per day for greater than 60 days per year)

Primary MCLs (mg/L)

Primary MCLs (mg/L)

Primary MCLs (mg/L)

Primary MCLs (mg/L)

Secondary MCLs (mg/L)

Sources of Drinking Water

Groundwater
shallow wells
deep wells

Surface water
rivers
lakes
reservoirs

Ground- vs. Surface Water

Groundwater
constant composition
high mineral content
low turbidity
low color
low or no D.O.
high hardness
high Fe, Mn

Surface water
variable composition
low mineral content
high turbidity
colored
D.O. present
low hardness
taste and odor

Surface Water Treatment

Primary objectives are to

1. Remove suspended material (turbidity) and color
2. Eliminate pathogenic organisms

Treatment technologies largely based on

coagulation and flocculation

Surface Water Treatment

Screen
Surface water
from supply
Rapid Flocculation
Rapid
Mix
Basin
Sand Filter
Disinfection
Storage

Sedimentatio
n
basin

Sludge

To
Distribution
System

Surface Water Treatment

Surface Water Treatment

Main treatment
Adding Polyaluminum
chloride (PAX) and other
coagulants to to raw water
to promote coagulation and
flocculation
Sedimentation
Filtration
Disinfection using chlorine
gas or UV light
pH adjustment using
sodium hydroxide (NaOH)
to hinder corrosion in pipes

Treatment Processes
1. Rapid Mix - From the aerators, the water flows into the
rapid mix tank where it is combined with the lime. The
purpose of the rapid mix tank is to provide a complete
mix, allowing the lime to come in contact with the
dissolved minerals. Detention time in this tank is just a
few seconds.
2. First-Stage Mixing - Lime is mixed with the water for
20 to 30 minutes in mix tank. Motor-driven paddles
keep the mixture moving and prevent settling in the
mix tanks.

Treatment Processes
3. Second-Stage Mixing - The flow then proceeds to Mix
Tanks. Some pH reduction can be achieved at this
point by blending the lower pH of bypassed raw water
with the high pH of the first-stage mix. During mixing
and flocculation, the particles attach to one another to
form larger solids that will be settled by gravity and
removed during another stage of treatment. As slow
proceeds through each tank the force and speed of the
mixing is gradually reduced, allowing the particles to
grow as large and heavy as possible.
4. Polymer- an anionic polymer is added to aid in
coagulation and enhance settling. The polymer acts
like a "glue, holding together the particles and
allowing them to grow even larger.

Treatment Processes
5. Settling - Next, the water flows to quiet settling tanks,
or clarifies, where previously formed particles settle to
the bottom as lime sludge. Flow-through time here is
two to three hours. Part of this sludge is returned to the
mixing tank to assist in coagulation; the remainder is
drawn off continuously to holding ponds or lagoons.
6. Chlorination - To ensure bacteriological safety of the
water supply a calculated dose of chlorine was added.
The chlorine disinfects the water and protects against
microbial contamination after the water leaves the
treatment plant. Dose of chlorine will also protect
treated water from growth of algae if exposed to direct
sun.