NAME: _________________________________________ SCORE:
Class #: Year/Section: Group: Date:
ACTIVITY 5: WATER TREATMENT PROCESS WORD SEARCH
Have
you ever
wondered how
the water that
comes out of
your faucet
gets cleaned?
If you have,
you should
enjoy solving
this word
search puzzle.
All you need to
do is read
"How My
Drinking Water
Gets Cleaned."
As you read,
look for the
words. Then
see if you can
find these
words in the
puzzle below.
First, air is bubbled up through the water to remove _________________________ that make it
smell and taste bad. This is called aeration.
Next, a chemical called ____________________________ is mixed into the water. The alum
forms into tiny, sticky particles that attract dirt. This step is called
____________________________.
Then the alum and dirt collect in little bunches called ____________________________. This is
called ____________________________.
The water then flows through large tanks where the bunches of floc sink to the bottom. This is
called ____________________________.
Next, the water flows through ____________________________ made of
____________________________, ____________________________ and
____________________________. These filters trap tiny bits of dirt still in the water. This is
called filtration.
A chemical is then mixed with the water to kill any germs in it. This is called
____________________________.
Finally, ____________________________ is added to the water to help prevent tooth decay.
After the water is cleaned, it goes into ____________________________ so that it can reach our
homes and many other places.
Water Treatment Word Search
Have you ever wondered how the water that comes out of your faucet gets cleaned? If you have,
you should enjoy solving this word search puzzle. All you need to do is read "How My Drinking
Water Gets Cleaned." As you read, look for the words in bold type. Then see if you can find
these words in the puzzle below.
How My Drinking Water Gets Cleaned
Much of our drinking water comes from a place called the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta. To
get to our area, this water flows through a pipeline called the South Bay Aqueduct. Water from
the Delta is dirty, so it must be cleaned at a treatment plant before we can drink it. Here's what
happens at a treatment plant.
First, air is bubbled up through the water to remove gases that make it smell and taste bad.
This is called aeration.
Next, a chemical called alum is mixed into the water. The alum forms into tiny, sticky particles
that attract dirt. This step is called coagulation.
Then the alum and dirt collect in little bunches called floc. This is called flocculation.
The water then flows through large tanks where the bunches of floc sink to the bottom. This is
called sedimentation.
Next, the water flows through filters made of coal, sand, and gravel. These filters trap tiny bits
of dirt still in the water. This is called filtration.
A chemical is then mixed with the water to kill any germs in it. This is called disinfection.
Finally, fluoride is added to the water to help prevent tooth decay.
After the water is cleaned, it goes into pipelines so that it can reach our homes and many other
places.
