NAME:

AKINBOLUDE JOSHUA TIMILEYIN

MATRIC NUMBER:

AGE/19/1126

COURSE:

AGE 315/ ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

ASSIGNMENT:

WRITE OUT THE PHYSIO CHEMICAL ( PHYSICAL,

CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL ) STANDARD OF
PORTABLE WATER FOR W.H.O, NESREA, FAO.

ANSWERS:

FOR W.H.O:

Choice of a raw water source: When a choice has to be made between

alternative sources, the quality of the raw water (and hence the extent of the treatment
required) as well as to the adequacy and reliability of the sources, from a quantitative
point of view, together with the potentialities for expansion in the future, must be
considered. The choice of a source requiring a minimum amount of treatment must
always be regarded as preferable to the installation of sophisticated purification plant.
Removal of pollutants from an industrial e1Buent before it is discharged into a body
of water is often simpler and more reliable than an attempt to remove them from
water intended for domestic use taken from some other point in the same body of
water. Nothing in these standards should be regarded as implying approval of the
degradation in any respect of an existing water source of a quality superior to that
recommended. Existing and potential sources of water should, as far as possible, be
protected against pollution, even though there may be no immediate intention of
developing them.

Adequacy of treatment: The treatment that a water may require before it is

distributed as a public supply does not come within the scope of this publication;
treatment should, however, be adequate to deal with changes in the quality of the raw
water and produce a finished product of consistently high quality however great the
demand on the supply may be. Chlorination, or other form of disinfection, is not
always sufficient, in itself, as a method of obtaining a supply of adequate quality from
every raw water. Other forms of treatment-such as coagulation and filtration-are
required, before disinfection, to make certain raw waters fit for distribution as public
supplies. It should, moreover, be emphasized that the quality of drinking-water is
dependent on the quality of the raw water, particularly with regard to those mineral
constituents that are not normally removed in water treatment.

Distribution system maintenance:The inside surfaces of the mains and service

pipes comprising the underground distribution system of any water supply are
frequently coated with a biological layer that may include slimes, algae, sponges,
Dreissena and other molluscs, iron bacteria, and various organisms that may harbour
nematodes, Daphniae, and similar forms of animal life. There is no evidence that any
of these constitute a direct health hazard, although it has been suggested that viruses
may be concentrated, for instance, within the gut of Asel/us. The acceptability of the
water may be affected when any of these organisms emerge from consumers' taps,
and there is always the risk that the biological layer may be loosened by an increase in
water velocity (e.g., when water is used for fire-fighting purposes), by an alteration in
the chlorine dosage (e.g., when the concentration is increased during an epidemic, or
after a mains repair), or by the mixing of waters of different quality characteristics
(e.g., as a consequence of desalination or water re-use). In such cases, discoloration,
odours, or turbidity may render the water undrinkable. Regular flushing or foam
swabbing4t of mains is recommended to prevent the formation of this biological
layer, coupled with a dosage of pyrethrins or other harmless pesticide for the control
of animal life, if any organisms have become too firmly established for removal by
flushing. Chlorination of mains and reservoirs after cleaning or repair is an additional
precaution, and prevention of cross-connexions or back-syphonage is essential if
contamination of the system is to be avoided.

FOR NESREA:

Potable water is defined as water

that is free from diseases producing
microorganisms and chemical substances
deleterious to health (Ihekoronye and
Ngoddy, 1985). Water can be obtained
from a number of sources, among which
are streams, lakes, rivers, ponds, rain,
springs and wells. Unfortunately, clean,
pure and safe water only exists briefly in
nature and is immediately polluted by
prevailing environmental factors and
human activities.
The transmission of diseases through
drinking water is one of the primary
concerns for a safe drinking water. Fecal
 pollution of drinking water may introduce
a variety of intestinal pathogens which
may
cause
diseases
from
mild
gastroenteritis to severe and sometimes
fatal dysentery, diarrhea, cholera, typhoid,
hepatitis, giardiasis etc (Crown, 1986;
Wanda, 2006). Therefore, potable water is
tested for an indicator of human or animal
waste known as coliform bacteria which
may include Escherichia coli type 1,
Streptococcus faecalis, etc (NRDC, 2006).
Coliform bacteria are bacteria which are
always present in the digestive system of
humans and animals and can be found in
their waste. They are also present in the
soil and plant material (Kathleen, 1998),
and are usually gram negative. Ideally,
drinking water should not contain any
microorganism known to be pathogenic
and should be free from bacteria indicative
of faecal pollution (FEPA, 1999).

FOR FAO:

Physical Characteristics:
Physical characteristics of water (temperature, colour, taste, odour and etc.) are
determined by senses
of touch, sight, smell and taste. For example temperature by touch, colour, floating
debris, turbidity
and suspended solids by sight, and taste and odor by smell.
3.1.2 Temperature: Temperature is a measure of the average energy (kinetic) of
water molecules. It
is measured on a linear scale of degrees Celsius or degrees Fahrenheit. Temperature is
a basic water
quality variable. It determines the suitability of water for various forms of aquatic life.
Depending on
the geographic location the mean annual temperature varies in the range of 10 to 21oC
with an average
of 16oC. Temperature affects a number of water quality parameters such as dissolved
oxygen which is
a chemical characteristic. Oxygen solubility is less in warm water than cold water.
Temperature also
affects the aquatic life, for example, trout and salmon require cool temperature for
survival and
reproduction whereas bass and sunfish do better at warmer temperatures. Temperature
in water bodies
generally follows mean daily air temperature. It influences: amount of oxygen that
can be dissolved in
water, rate of photosynthesis by algae and other aquatic plants, metabolic rates of
organisms,
sensitivity of organisms to toxic wastes, parasites and diseases, and timing of
reproduction, migration,
and aestivation of aquatic organisms.

3.1.3 Color: Color in water is primarily a concern of water quality for aesthetic
reason. Colored
water give the appearance of being unfit to drink, even though the water may be
perfectly safe for
public use. Color of the water body can indicate the presence of organic substances,
such as algae or
humic compounds. In recent times, color has been used as a quantitative assessment
of the presence of
potentially hazardous or toxic organic materials in water. Color is vital as most water
users, be it
domestic or industrial, usually prefer colorless water. Determination of color can help
in estimating the
costs related to discoloration of the water. Color is reduced or removed from water
through the use of
coagulation, settling and filtration techniques

Chemical Characteristics: The health concerns associated with chemical

constituents of
drinking-water arise mainly from the ability of chemical constituents to cause adverse
health effects
after extended exposure time. There are few chemical constituents of water that can
lead to health
problems resulting from even a single exposure. An appreciable number of serious
health concerns
may occur as a result of the chemical contamination of drinking-water. The major
chemical properties
of the water are discussed below:
3.2.1 pH: pH is a measure of how acidic or basic (alkaline) the water is. It is
defined as the negative
log of the hydrogen ion concentration. The pH scale is logarithmic and ranges from 0
(very acidic) to
14 (very alkaline). For each whole number increase (i.e. 1 to 2) the hydrogen ion
concentration
decreases tenfold and the water becomes less acidic. The range of natural pH in fresh
waters extends
from around 4.5, for acid, peaty upland waters, to over 10.0 in waters where there is
intense
photosynthetic activity by algae. However, the most frequently encountered range is
6.5-8.0. The
range of pH apt for fisheries is considered to be 5.0-9.0, though 6.5-8.5 is preferable.
At the extreme
ends of the pH scale, (2 or 13) physical damage to gills, exoskeleton and fins occurs.
Changes in pH
may alter the concentrations of other substances in water to a more toxic form.
Ammonia toxicity,
chlorine disinfection efficiency, and metal solubility are all subjective to changes in
pH value.
3.2.2 Electrical Conductivity: The conductivity of water is an expression
of its ability to conduct an
electric current as a result of breakdown of dissolved solids into positively and
negatively charged
ions. The major positively charged ions are sodium (Na+ ), calcium (Ca+2), potassium
(K+ ) and 10
Environmental
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Water Resources and Management
Physical, Chemical and Biological Characteristics of Water
magnesium (Mg+2). The major negatively charged ions in water include chloride (Cl-
), sulfate (SO4-2 ),
carbonate (CO3-2 ), and bicarbonate (HCO3- ). Nitrates (NO3-2 ) and phosphates (PO4-3 )
are minor
contributors to conductivity, although they are very important biologically.
Conductivity in itself is a
property of little interest but it is an invaluable indicator of the range of hardness,
alkalinity and the
dissolved solids content of the water. Conductivity will vary with water source:
ground water, water
drained from agricultural fields, municipal waste water, rainfall. Therefore,
conductivity can indicate
groundwater seepage or a sewage leak.
3.2.3 Salinity: Salinity is a measure of the amount of salts in the water. Because
dissolved ions
increase salinity as well as conductivity, the two measures are related. The salts in sea
water are
primarily sodium chloride (NaCl). However, other saline waters owe their high
salinity to a
combination of dissolved ions including sodium, chloride, carbonate and sulfate.
Salts and other substances affect the quality of water used for irrigation or drinking.
They also have a
critical influence on aquatic biota, and every kind of organism has a typical salinity
range that it can
tolerate. The presence of a high salt content may make water unsuitable for domestic,
agricultural or
industrial use. Moreover, the ionic composition of the water can be critical. For
example, Cladocerans
(water fleas) are far more sensitive to potassium chloride than sodium chloride at the
same
concentration.

Biological Characteristics
3.3.1 Microbial Contamination: Microbial contamination is one of the
major concerns of water
quality. Many types of microorganisms are naturally present in the water such as
•Protozoans -Amoeba, cryptosporidium, giardia,14
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Water Resources and Management
Physical, Chemical and Biological Characteristics of Water
•Bacteria – Salmonella, typhus, cholera, shigella,
•Viruses –Polio, hepatitis A, meningitis, encephalitis,…
•Helminths –Guinea worm, hookworm, roundworm,…
3.3.2 Feacal Matter
Total Coliform and Feacal Coliform
Total coliform bacteria, fecal coliform bacteria, and E. coli are all considered
indicators of water
contaminated with fecal matter. Contaminated water may contain other pathogens
(micro-organisms
that cause illness) that are more difficult to test for. Therefore these indicator bacteria
are useful in
giving us a measure of contamination levels.
E. coli is a bacterial species found in the fecal matter of warm blooded animals
(humans, other
mammals, and birds). Total coliform bacteria are an entire group of bacterial species
that are generally
similar to and include the species E. coli. There are certain forms of coliform bacteria
that do not live
in fecal matter but instead live in soils. Fecal coliform bacteria are coliform bacteria
that do live in
fecal matter, including, but not limited to, the species E. coli. Most of the fecal
coliform cells found in
fecal matter are E. coli. Untreated sewage, poorly maintained septic systems, un-
scooped pet waste,
and farm animals with access to water bodies can cause high levels of fecal coliform
bacteria to appear
in and make the water unhealthy