Purification of Water Storage

Purification of Water Storage

Storage
Water is drawn out from the source and impounded in natural or artificial reservoirs. Storage provides a reserve of water from which further pollution is excluded. As a result of storage, a very cansiderable amount of purificatian takes place. This is natural purificatian and we may look at it from three points of view:

a. Physical By mere storage, the quality of water improves. About 90% of the suspended solids settle dawn in 24 hours by gravity. The water becomes clearer. This allows penetration of light, and reduces the work of the filters.

b. Chemical Certain chemical changes also take place during storage. The aerobic bacteria oxidise the organic matter present m the water with the aid of dissolved oxygen. As a result, the content of free ammonia is reduced and a rise m nitrate occurs.

c. Biological A tremendous drop takes place in bacterial count during storage. The pathogenic organisms gradually die out. It is found that when river water is stared the total bacterial count drops by as much as 90 % in the first 5-7 days. This is one of the greatest benefits of storage. The optimum period of storage of river water is considered to be about 10-14 days. If the water is stared far long periods, there is likelihood of development of vegetable growths such as algae which impart a bad smell and colour to water.

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