maintain water quality

How do we maintain water quality?

Maintain water quality is evaluating the quality of water and determining the concentration of its components and additives added to it, then comparing the results of this concentration with the purpose for which this water will be used, for example: distilled water is considered one of the best forms of water, but it is not suitable for all organisms.

Therefore, it is not possible to measure quality without determining the purpose for which it is used. The water used in homes for drinking and preparing food is different from the water used to irrigate agricultural land, or used in fish farms, or used in raising animals.

Water quality measurement criteria

First: Physical measures of water quality:

  • Temperature: It directly affects biological processes in water, as high temperature leads to a decrease in the concentration of dissolved oxygen in water and an increase in the rate of metabolic processes of living organisms and accelerates their reproduction.
  • Turbidity: Solids that do not dissolve in water, such as algae, sand particles, and bacteria, cause the water to become turbid, which reduces the possibility of sunlight entering water bodies, thus reducing the photosynthesis process and reducing the concentration of oxygen with increasing the concentration of carbon dioxide in the water, which negatively affects the organisms that will drink this water.
  • Color, taste, and smell of water: It is known that water has no taste, color, or smell, and therefore the presence of any of these characteristics means that the water is polluted.

Second: Chemical measures of water quality:

  • Salinity: Salts are usually found in water in a natural way resulting from the dissolution of salts in the soil, or in an unnatural way by humans through the use of chemical fertilizers or mixing potable water with sewage water.
  • Nitrates and phosphates: Increased levels of nitrates and phosphates in water cause plant organisms to multiply rapidly in the water, especially algae, which reduces photosynthesis in plants and oxygen concentration, causing most organisms living in the water to die. Increased levels of nitrates in drinking water also cause them to come into contact with hemoglobin in red blood cells, impeding the transport of oxygen in the body and causing cyanosis, especially in children.
  • Oxygen: Organisms living in water need a certain concentration of oxygen, as the minimum concentration for life in water reaches 4 mg/L, and organisms cannot live at a lower concentration.
  • Physics: This refers to the acidity or alkalinity of water, as pH is measured in the range of 0-14, and when pH=7 it is neutral, but if it is less than 7 it is acidic, and more than 7 it is alkaline. The pH of drinking water ranges between 6.5 and 8.5 degrees.
  • Water hardness: Water hardness refers to the concentration of calcium and magnesium ions combined in the water. The higher the concentration of these ions, the harder the water becomes, and thus the more salt deposits in the water.
  • Heavy metals: Minerals in water affect human health, whether they are natural minerals resulting from the dissolution of rocks, or industrial minerals resulting from wastewater.

Third: Biological standards:

The principle of the biological standard is based on measuring the percentage of living organisms, especially invertebrates, which are considered the most sensitive organisms to pollution, that live and reproduce within the aquatic environment, where the biological coefficient should range between 0 and 10, and the higher the value from six to ten, the higher the water quality.

Fourth: Radioactive standards:

This refers to radioactive materials, which lead to water pollution, and the source of these radioactive materials may be the dissolution of radioactive rocks. Or throwing radioactive waste from factories, hospitals, or laboratories into the water. This is considered very dangerous because it affects the human genetic material (DNA) and causes mutations in it, or cancer.

Foundations of monitoring water quality and safety

In order to maintain water quality, we must ensure that some foundations are available

  • Compliance with relevant laws and regulations.
  • Monitoring water quality and verifying the accuracy of laboratory test results.
  • Verifying the efficiency of devices used to measure water quality.
  • Verifying the safety of chemicals and portable field testing tools used to measure water quality.
  • Continuous monitoring of the efficiency and development of the performance of workers conducting these tests.

What are the main factors affecting water quality and water pollution?

  • Industrial waste: There are still a large number of companies around the world that dump inadequately treated waste into rivers or seas.
  • Global warming: Climate change also contributes to water pollution. When the ecosystem is exposed to higher-than-average temperatures, the composition of the water changes because the amount of oxygen decreases.
  • Use of pesticides in agriculture: Farms and agriculture dispose of large amounts of chemicals, fertilizers, organic materials, and other waste into the water.
  • Deforestation: This leads to the emergence of bacteria and sediments under the soil, which causes groundwater pollution.
  • Oil spills: Oil spills and their derivatives occur due to the poor transportation and filtration of products such as fuel. That is usually stored in underground tanks.

The problem of water has become a global problem. 90% of the water we pour into rivers is untreated water that has not been purified. Thus, we pour polluted water into the arteries of the planet. This becomes a poison for ecosystems, species, and humanity. According to various studies, rising sea temperatures can affect the growth of some microorganisms. That is harmful to animal and human life.

How can water quality and water pollution be assessed?

There are times when we can determine whether a certain water is fit for human consumption or not. If you open the tap water flows

If the water is cloudy or yellowish, it is clear that it cannot be drunk. However

In most cases, laboratory analysis will confirm which water is fit for consumption.

What are these analyses based on? The physical, chemical and biological properties of the element.

How can water quality and water pollution be improved?

In just a few years, there has been a major change in water cleanliness. Until a few decades ago, we thought that water was an unlimited natural resource that would always be provided by Mother Nature. Now we have to develop technologies to reuse water and improve its quality appropriately.

Water Treatment

The purpose of water treatment is to reduce or eliminate pollution or undesirable properties of water. It consists of a series of physical, chemical, and biological processes that remove contaminants from water. The goal is to give water the right properties for the desired use. As a result, the water treatment process varies depending on its initial properties as well as its final use.

Water Purification

Wastewater from urban centers or industries is purified in a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Basically, a WWTP mimics the purification processes that occur naturally in a river and completes these processes automatically and comprehensively.

Seawater Desalination

Seawater desalination has been around for a long time now. But what’s new is that thanks to reverse osmosis desalination, the process has become more energy efficient.

Reverse osmosis allows the removal of salt from saltwater through a semi-permeable membrane. This is not only the most advanced process, but also the most efficient and sustainable. It generates up to 4.5 times fewer greenhouse gas emissions than other desalination technologies.

You can find out more about Reverse Osmosis technology.


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