Clean Water Systems
Introduction
1.Water quality for engineers
a. Earth is 73% water, only 0,5% fresh water
i. 66% groundwater and 34% surface water
1.1. Hydrological cycle
a. Water continuously moving
b. Quality of phase of water change in the moving
c. Natural processes :
a. precipitation, evaporation, transpiration,
groundwater flow and streamflow
1.2. Urban water cycle
a. Part of the hydrological cycle
b. Abstraction from the source to the used environment
a. Example : drink water in groundwater
1.3. Access to water for drinking, hygiene &
agriculture
a. In the Ndl, drinking water consumption is on average 110-
130l per person per day
b. Previous century surface water polluted
a. Rhine, EU’s sewer
c. Industry uses water for cooling
a. Groundwater is attractive because the temperature is
constant
d. Agricultural water used for irrigation of farmland or
greenhouses
a. Problems with pesticides, …
1.4. A healthy environment today and in the future
a. The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) decides on
the water quality in the EU
a. Healthy water for aquatic life
b. Easy to make drink water from
b. Kaderrichtlijn Water (KRW) decides on the water standard
in Ndl
c. Groundwater ideal
a. Nowadays infiltration of contamination happens
d. Climate change
a. Scarcity and other problems for the future
,2. Water quality parameters
2.1. Fluid properties
a. Pure water : no colour, odour or flavour
b. Water liquid between 0°C and 100°C
a. Above gas
b. Below solid, ice
c. Atomic configuration
a. Two hydrogen atoms are located on both sides of the
oxygen atom
b. At an angle of 104°
c. Large difference in atomic size
i. Strong dipole
ii. Good solvent
d. Temperature effect on characteristics
a. Hot conduct on cold
e. Some of the dissolved materials change also
a. Sweet conduct on salt
2.2. Undissolved matter
a. Consists of particles that are not dissolved in water
b. Three types of particles
a. Suspended
i. 10−11 −10−9 m
ii. Mineral or organic origin
1. Mineral : Sand, clay, loam and other
inorganic soil
1. Enter water because of erosion
2. Organic : originates from the decay of
vegetation and from untreated domestic
and industrial water
b. Colloidal particles
i. 10−9−10−6 m
ii. Gravity similar to water
iii. Negative electric charge
iv. Can give colour or turbidity to water
c. floating matter
i. 10−6 −100 m
ii. Organic composition
iii. Example : seaweed : pollution, unattractive
beach
iv. Can be liquid
1. Prevent oxygen and light
, d. Plastic
2.3. Dissolved matter
a. organic matter
a. Origin : decaying flora and fauna, discharge of
domestic sewage
b. Carbon compounds
2−¿¿
i. Expect : C O2 , HC O−¿
3
,C O
3 ¿
=> inorganic
compound
c. Consists mainly of hydrogen and oxygen
d. Concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in
water = 1 to 10mg/l
e. Organic micropollutants (OMPs)
i. Manmade
1. Pesticides, pharmaceuticals and per- and
polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)
ii. Micrograms or nanograms in water
b. Inorganic matter
a. Dissolved salts, dissolved gases or reaction products
from inorganic transformations or organic
transformations
b. Low levels of inorganic contaminants can be found in
water
i. Due to anthropogenic activities or natural
conditions
ii. Harmful nature or public health
2.4. Measuring water quality
a. Context is important in measuring water quality
b. Amount of suspended and colloidal matter in multiple
parameters
a. Example : turbidity (NTU), suspended solids
concentration, number of particles per size (counting
particles)
c. Concentration of dissolved salts
a. Determine by vaporising the water and weighing the
residual, calculated as the sum of all dissolved salts,
determine the electrical conductivity (EC)
, b. Parameter refers to Total dissolved solids (TDS)
i. Below 1000mg/l = fresh water
ii. Over 10000mg/l = salt water
iii. Between 1000 – 10000mg/l = brackish water
d. EC (electrical conductivity), ph and dissolved oxygen
measured with multimeter
a. In situ measured -> useful for fieldwork
e. Other matter measured with test strips or in the laboratory
3. Water bodies
3.1. Surface water
a. Several forms : rivers, lakes, man-made like canals,
reservoirs
b. In the mountains :
a. Minimally contaminated
b. Contains few dissolved minerals
c. Middle course : flow is greater and less variable ; the
amount of dissolved solids increased
d. Lower course (river delta) : highly mineralised and
contaminated with residential and industrial
wastewater
3.2. Groundwater
a. Microbiological reliability
b. Stable and predictable quality
c. Types :
a. Aerobic = phreatic : coming from the unconfined
aquifer, connected to the atmosphere
i. Does not lose its oxygen when soil is limited ->
anaerobic reaction occurs
b. Anoxic : coming from a confined aquifer
i. Lack of oxygen
ii. Presence of iron and manganese
c. Anaerobic : coming from confined water without
oxygen
i. No nitrate and organic material is broken down
by the surface as an oxidant
ii. Iron, manganese and ammonium present
iii. Safe source for drinking water
3.3. Saline water
a. = water with a high concentration of dissolved salts
b. Fresh water has a salt content below 0,5%
a. Consists of chloride and sodium and others
Introduction
1.Water quality for engineers
a. Earth is 73% water, only 0,5% fresh water
i. 66% groundwater and 34% surface water
1.1. Hydrological cycle
a. Water continuously moving
b. Quality of phase of water change in the moving
c. Natural processes :
a. precipitation, evaporation, transpiration,
groundwater flow and streamflow
1.2. Urban water cycle
a. Part of the hydrological cycle
b. Abstraction from the source to the used environment
a. Example : drink water in groundwater
1.3. Access to water for drinking, hygiene &
agriculture
a. In the Ndl, drinking water consumption is on average 110-
130l per person per day
b. Previous century surface water polluted
a. Rhine, EU’s sewer
c. Industry uses water for cooling
a. Groundwater is attractive because the temperature is
constant
d. Agricultural water used for irrigation of farmland or
greenhouses
a. Problems with pesticides, …
1.4. A healthy environment today and in the future
a. The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) decides on
the water quality in the EU
a. Healthy water for aquatic life
b. Easy to make drink water from
b. Kaderrichtlijn Water (KRW) decides on the water standard
in Ndl
c. Groundwater ideal
a. Nowadays infiltration of contamination happens
d. Climate change
a. Scarcity and other problems for the future
,2. Water quality parameters
2.1. Fluid properties
a. Pure water : no colour, odour or flavour
b. Water liquid between 0°C and 100°C
a. Above gas
b. Below solid, ice
c. Atomic configuration
a. Two hydrogen atoms are located on both sides of the
oxygen atom
b. At an angle of 104°
c. Large difference in atomic size
i. Strong dipole
ii. Good solvent
d. Temperature effect on characteristics
a. Hot conduct on cold
e. Some of the dissolved materials change also
a. Sweet conduct on salt
2.2. Undissolved matter
a. Consists of particles that are not dissolved in water
b. Three types of particles
a. Suspended
i. 10−11 −10−9 m
ii. Mineral or organic origin
1. Mineral : Sand, clay, loam and other
inorganic soil
1. Enter water because of erosion
2. Organic : originates from the decay of
vegetation and from untreated domestic
and industrial water
b. Colloidal particles
i. 10−9−10−6 m
ii. Gravity similar to water
iii. Negative electric charge
iv. Can give colour or turbidity to water
c. floating matter
i. 10−6 −100 m
ii. Organic composition
iii. Example : seaweed : pollution, unattractive
beach
iv. Can be liquid
1. Prevent oxygen and light
, d. Plastic
2.3. Dissolved matter
a. organic matter
a. Origin : decaying flora and fauna, discharge of
domestic sewage
b. Carbon compounds
2−¿¿
i. Expect : C O2 , HC O−¿
3
,C O
3 ¿
=> inorganic
compound
c. Consists mainly of hydrogen and oxygen
d. Concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in
water = 1 to 10mg/l
e. Organic micropollutants (OMPs)
i. Manmade
1. Pesticides, pharmaceuticals and per- and
polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)
ii. Micrograms or nanograms in water
b. Inorganic matter
a. Dissolved salts, dissolved gases or reaction products
from inorganic transformations or organic
transformations
b. Low levels of inorganic contaminants can be found in
water
i. Due to anthropogenic activities or natural
conditions
ii. Harmful nature or public health
2.4. Measuring water quality
a. Context is important in measuring water quality
b. Amount of suspended and colloidal matter in multiple
parameters
a. Example : turbidity (NTU), suspended solids
concentration, number of particles per size (counting
particles)
c. Concentration of dissolved salts
a. Determine by vaporising the water and weighing the
residual, calculated as the sum of all dissolved salts,
determine the electrical conductivity (EC)
, b. Parameter refers to Total dissolved solids (TDS)
i. Below 1000mg/l = fresh water
ii. Over 10000mg/l = salt water
iii. Between 1000 – 10000mg/l = brackish water
d. EC (electrical conductivity), ph and dissolved oxygen
measured with multimeter
a. In situ measured -> useful for fieldwork
e. Other matter measured with test strips or in the laboratory
3. Water bodies
3.1. Surface water
a. Several forms : rivers, lakes, man-made like canals,
reservoirs
b. In the mountains :
a. Minimally contaminated
b. Contains few dissolved minerals
c. Middle course : flow is greater and less variable ; the
amount of dissolved solids increased
d. Lower course (river delta) : highly mineralised and
contaminated with residential and industrial
wastewater
3.2. Groundwater
a. Microbiological reliability
b. Stable and predictable quality
c. Types :
a. Aerobic = phreatic : coming from the unconfined
aquifer, connected to the atmosphere
i. Does not lose its oxygen when soil is limited ->
anaerobic reaction occurs
b. Anoxic : coming from a confined aquifer
i. Lack of oxygen
ii. Presence of iron and manganese
c. Anaerobic : coming from confined water without
oxygen
i. No nitrate and organic material is broken down
by the surface as an oxidant
ii. Iron, manganese and ammonium present
iii. Safe source for drinking water
3.3. Saline water
a. = water with a high concentration of dissolved salts
b. Fresh water has a salt content below 0,5%
a. Consists of chloride and sodium and others
