Chapter 3A

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 Uses
CLASS I Conservation of natural environment water supply 1
- practically no treatment necessary.
Fishery 1 - very sensitive aquatic species
CLASS IIA Water Supply II - conventional treatment required
Fishery ll - sensitive aquatic species
CLASS IIB Recreational use with body contact
CLASS III Water Supply lll - extensive treatment required
Fishery lll - common, of economic value, and
tolerant species livestock drinking
CLASS IV Irrigation
CLASS V 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 Symbol Benchmark
Sulphate SO4 250 mg/l
Hardness CaCO3SO 500 mg/l
Nitrate NO3SO 10 mg/l
Coliform - Must not be detected in any 100 ml sample

Manganese Mn 0.1 mg/l

Chromium Cr 0.05 mg/l
Zinc Zn 3 mg/l
Arsenic As 0.01 mg/l
Selenium Se 0.01 mg/l
Chloride Cl 250 mg/l
Phenolics - 0.002 mg/l
TDS - 1000 mg/l
Iron Fe 0.3 mg/l
Copper Cu 1.0 mg/l
Lead Pb 0.01 mg/l
Cadmium Cd 0.003 mg/l
Mercury Hg 0.001 mg
 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 by-
products)
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)
 Sources of Drinking Water
Groundwater
shallow wells
deep wells
Surface water
rivers
lakes
reservoirs
 Ground- vs. Surface Water

Groundwater Surface water

constant composition variable composition
high mineral content low mineral content
low turbidity high turbidity
low color colored
low or no D.O. D.O. present
high hardness low hardness
high Fe, Mn 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
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 (Aeration) Water is aerated to increase

the DO content of the water. 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 Coagulant 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. Filtration - After settling the water passed through a set
of filter to filter off the unsettled solid during settling in
sedimentation tank.
7. 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.
End of Chapter 3A