Water Purification News

Sand filters with established biofilms are more effective in removing taste and odor November 23, 2007 21:32

Unsafe water: Brown, odor water from faucet in Langston Residents November 20, 2007 21:33

 
Many Langston residents are very worried that the water coming out of their faucets is not truly safe for drinking, bathing or cooking. One resident, a 21-year old Langston University student is so skeptical that she recently bought a filter for her kitchen... (Read Article)

How filtered water can become contaminated November 20, 2007 21:05

 
Home filtered water is definitely better than buying bottled water. Beside the environmental hazard of bottled water, we are all aware that bottled water can not be reliable. It has been documented that bottled water is not purer than tap water.One thing... (Read Article)

Benefits of an Iron Filter November 1, 2007 21:54

 
Have you ever turned on the faucet and wondered where that clean water comes from? Bob Martin and the crew of the South Lyon Water Department is the man responsible for delivering that water to homes offices and schools within the city.

One hundred and fifty feet below South Lyon is an underground lake called an aquifer, which is pumped to the surface for treatment. The ground water is rich in minerals such as iron. However, iron-rich water isn't good for bathtubs, water heaters and dishwashers, Martin said. When the water is pumped from the ground to the surface, the iron is dissolved in the water and can't be seen.

"Think of it like Kool-Aid," Martin said of the powder which dissolves in water. In order to get the iron out of the water some basic chemistry must be applied. The water is pumped to the top of a large tank and dropped. At the same time, air is pumped up, crashing into the falling water. The action transforms the iron in the solution to water with iron particles, about the size of a pinhead. The process is called aeration.

"It goes from a solution to a solid," Martin said.

From the tanks, the water is piped to a series of iron filters. The South Lyon Water Department has six of the giant yellow cylindrical filters, each about 10 feet tall and 16 feet long. Yellow and green pipes run into and out of the filters.

Inside, each of the tanks is filled with "media" or various sizes of rocks and gravel. The larger rocks are at the top, with smaller gravel at the bottom. The iron water is piped in from the top and leaves from the bottom without iron. The rocks provide surface area where the iron particles settle and cling.

"We do this 24 hours a day, seven days a week," Martin said.

Once a day, two of the six tanks are cleaned by a backwash of water. The dirty iron water is sent directly to the wastewater treatment plantwhere it is processed before returning to the environment. A small amount of chlorine and fluoride is added to the water. Some people have put up a fuss about adding the chemicals, but Martin defends their use. Fluoride provides a protective layer on the teeth, preventing cavities, he said.

As for chlorine, Martin points to the early 1900s when water was not treated and many people died from such waterborne diseases as typhoid, diphtheria and cholera. A small amount of chlorine kills the bugs that can kill us, he said


Source: Hometownlife.com

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