What are some methods for cleaning up water quality?

Question

Santiago Arce · Accepted Answer

There are several methods of purifying water to make it safe to drink, including filtration, sedimentation, and distillation. The best method depends on what is contaminating the water.

One of the more interesting and sustainable purification solutions is called a Bio-Sand Filter. It's small enough to be used in people's homes and it works best in communities where there is plenty of water around, but it's contaminated by micro-organisms and dirt.

A Bio-Sand Filter, or a slow sand filter, works by pouring dirty water into a container that has several layers. Each layer does a different job in cleaning up the water:

The top layer keeps anything big (rocks & dirt) from going into the
filter.
The second layer is made up of bacteria - these are actually
healthy "good" bacteria that eat the harmful bacteria in the water
that makes us sick.
Further layers of sand and gravel work to remove any remaining contaminants.

Audrey Adams · Answer

undefined Some methods for cleaning up water quality include:

1. Filtration: Using physical barriers to remove impurities from water.
2. Chemical treatment: Adding chemicals such as chlorine or ozone to disinfect water and remove contaminants.
3. Biological treatment: Using microorganisms to break down pollutants in water, such as in sewage treatment plants.
4. Sedimentation: Allowing particles to settle out of water through gravity, often used in combination with other treatment methods.
5. Reverse osmosis: Forcing water through a semipermeable membrane to remove dissolved solids and contaminants.
6. UV radiation: Exposing water to ultraviolet light to kill bacteria and other microorganisms.
7. Constructed wetlands: Using natural or artificial wetlands to filter pollutants from water through plant and microbial processes.
8. Desalination: Removing salt and other minerals from seawater to make it suitable for drinking or irrigation.