Water is life's mater and matrix, mother and medium

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Water is life's mater and matrix, mother and medium. There is no life without water. ~ Albert Szent-Gyorgyi There are five steps to basic water purification: aeration, coagulation, sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection. Our project will take us through the first four. Aeration adds air to the water. It allows gases trapped in the water to escape and adds oxygen to the water. Coagulation is the process which allows dirt and other suspended solid particles to chemically 'stick together'? into floc (clumps of alum and sediment). During this step, the water is also clarified, or made clear and colorless. Sedimentation is the process that occurs when gravity pulls the particles of floc to the bottom of the container. So as the water sits undisturbed, most of the floc settles, preparing the water for the next step. Filtration is the process where remaining solid particles and floc are separated and removed from the water. Disinfection is the final step, in which water is chemically treated to remove bacteria and other micro-organisms. These unseen bacteria can cause severe sickness and even death in humans. Objectives: Learn the different steps of water treatment and construct a mini water treatment system yourself Requirements: 1/2 L of swamp water (or tap water with mud or dirt added) 2 L soda pop bottle with its lid 2 L plastic soda pop bottle—cut in half (be careful with cutting) A container for water 2 cups of 20 oz each 1 tbsp alum (aluminum potassium sulfate) – Alum is found in grocery store in baking section 2 cup fine sand 1 cup coarse sand 1 cup small pebbles 1 filter paper or coffee filter 1 rubber band 1 large spoon for stirring Spoon for scooping the alum Stopwatch or timer CAUTION: Because we won't disinfect our water, it is NOT safe to drink. Procedure 1. Pour swamp water /tap water mixed wth dirt in the 2-liter bottle with a lid. Notice how it looks and smells. 2. Put the lid on the bottle and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Then pour the water back and forth between the two cups about 10 times. 3. Pour the water into the bottle with its top cut off. Again notice how the water looks and smells. 4. Add 2 tablespoons of alum to the water in the bottle with the top cut off. Use the spoon to slowly stir the water for five minutes. What do you notice about the water as you stir it? Record that in observations. 5. Now let the water sit undisturbed for 20 minutes, checking it every five minutes to note how it looks and smells (without moving it). 6. Use a rubber band to secure the filter paper to the mouth of the bottle with its bottom cut off. Put it upside down in the beaker. 7. Pour the pebbles into the bottle. Then pour the coarse sand on top of the pebbles and the fine sand on top of the coarse sand. 8. Carefully pour about two liters of clean tap water through, being careful not to disturb the top layer of sand. 9. Pour the top 2/3 of the swamp water through the filter, taking care to leave the sediment in the swamp water bottle. 10. Once all the water has passed through the filter, compare the swamp water to the filtered water. How do they look and smell different? 11. Remember: You CANNOT drink your filtered water because it is not disinfected.

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