What is the recycling processing for water?

Question

What is the recycling processing for water?

Answer 1

In the U.S., it gets purified to a certain standard before it is put back into a stream or ocean.

When it is removed, it gets purified more, and is normally clorinated before drinking.

Answer 2

The water is taken out of a lake, river or stream, specially filtered and slightly chlorinated to kill bacteria. It is then distributed via water pipes to homes and buisinesses. When used, the wasted water and unused portions go down the drain to through the sewer to a waste water treatment plant where it is filtered and then treated via a biological treatment process. The fully treated water is then discharged back into the lake, river, or stream. It was once said that by the time water from the mississippi reaches new orleans, it has been in over 100 stomachs....(yummy)

Answer 3

There are many ways to recycle water, here are just a few.

Filtration is the most common. For domestic supply, gravel and sand beds as in the Thames Valley in the UK. This water is also subjected to UV light to kill bacteria.

Evaporation, similar to desalination. Heat - steam hits cold surface and is drawn off -  The 'crud' stays behind and needs to be disposed of safely, eg by incineration.

Biological treatment. As well as chlorination and UV light different industries have different biological solutions eg the paper industry.  Sealed tanks are often used to prevent environmental contamination. The aim is always to return water to the river in a better state than when it was extracted.

Let me tell you a true story.

UK engineers installed an activated sludge (biological) sewage works in the backwoods of Pakistan.  Constant breakdowns meant that the UK engineers had to keep flying out there to sort the problem. The problem being that the bacteria in the activated sludge kept dying. After repeated visits someone asked the guys on site to describe their routine. The truth emerged. To save electricity the system was being switched off at night!! Nobody had thought it necessary to tell the poorly educated operatives that the bacteria need to kept warm at a constant temperature.

Another factoid. Asian women used to strain water through their natural fibre saris. Now with syntetic fibre this health practise is lost. The natural fibres filtered parasites. Synthetic fibres are not fibrous so don't remove them.

I hope this helps to answer your question.

ecoanne The Energy Lady.  http://TheEnergyLadyUK.com/blog . At the moment the blog is reading back to front courtesy of IPower.