The Product Life Cycle of Drinking Water

Most drinking water is sourced from rivers and lakes and groundwater. Groundwater is an underground reservoir of water or well. These sources can be contaminated by bacteria, parasites, viruses or chemicals, and need to be treated before they are safe to drink.

First Steps

• The first steps involved in water treatment are coagulation and flocculation, where positively charged chemicals neutralize dirt and other particulates in the water. After this, the water is left to settle; this is called sedimentation. Sedimentation allows floc to sink to the bottom of the water.

Filtration & Disinfection

• The water that has been cleared by sedimentation is now ready to be filtered in order to remove contaminants, including bacteria, parasites, dust and chemicals. Filters can be made from charcoal, sand and gravel. After the filtration process has been completed, the water is disinfected using chlorine or chloramine; it is then ready to make the journey to your faucet.

Home Treatment

• Some people opt to treat their water at home before drinking it. A charcoal filter is probably the easiest to use. Charcoal works by binding bacteria, lead and other contaminants to it. Other methods of home water treatment include distillation and UV disinfection.