Have you ever wondered how the water that comes out of your tap is so clean? Sure, it may not be crystal clear, but it certainly isn't muddy or murky. It's a safe bet to assume that the water you use every day was treated in some way before it arrived at your home.

This article describes the various stages of proper water treatment and how they work together to create safe, clean water.

Stage 1: Coagulation and Flocculation

This stage involves adding chemicals to the raw water supply to clump together dirt, sediment, and organic matter into larger particles. This helps to make the next stage of treatment easier. The added chemicals are known as coagulants and flocculants.

The most common chemical used for this process is aluminum sulfate (Alum). As the alum mixes with the raw water, it forms small clusters called "flocs," which are heavy enough to settle at the bottom of the treatment tank. This process is called flocculation.

Stage 2: Sedimentation

Sedimentation simply allows gravity to do its job by allowing the flocs to settle at the bottom of a settling tank or basin. The process allows for all those large particles from the first stage to be removed from suspension for them to be filtered out later on in the process.

After being allowed time to settle, these large particles are collected in a sludge blanket near the bottom of the settling tank before they are removed.

Stage 3: Disinfection

The purpose of disinfection is to kill any bacteria or viruses that may be present in any remaining suspended solids or dissolved substances to render them harmless.

The most commonly used disinfection method is chlorination, which involves adding chlorine gas or a chlorine compound such as sodium hypochlorite (bleach) into the drinking water supply so that chlorine can react with germs present and kill them off completely.

This ensures that no dangerous microorganisms can make their way into the drinking water supply. Plus, the added chlorine also helps to keep water from becoming smelly.

Stage 4: Filtering

Filtering removes any remaining suspended solids from suspension as well as other contaminants such as metals, minerals, and organic matter from the solution with activated carbon filters or sand filters. These filters act like sponges by trapping unwanted substances within their pores before they enter the drinking water supply system.

This helps ensure that drinking water remains free from harmful contaminants such as lead, mercury, and arsenic, which can cause serious health problems if consumed over long periods without prior filtration.

If you need to understand the basics of water treatment, these four stages should give you a good overview. Contact a water treatment service to learn more.