Clean Water: Is There a Solution?

Chemical Engineering III

Defining the Scope of the Problem

Introduction

• Problems with Unsafe Water– Lack of sanitation kills more people than all forms

of violence, including war– Worldwide, children in rural areas that don’t have

clean water are especially affected because their bodies aren’t strong enough to fight illnesses• 90% of the 30,000 deaths that occur every week from

unsafe water and unhygienic living conditions are of children under five years old

Shortage of Water• People in rural communities

often need to walk for miles every day to the nearest water source– Time spent walking and the

resulting diseases keep them from work, school, and taking care of their families

• In developing countries, dehydration from illness and lack of water accounts for about 2 million deaths per year

Group Research

Possible Solutions

Solution 1: Treatment System

• 5 step water treatment system– Coagulation– Sedimentation– Filtration– Disinfection– Corrosion Control

Step 1: Coagulation

• Water from reservoir drawn into large basins at treatment plant

• Alum, lime, CO2 , and polymer added to the water

• These chemicals cause small particles in water to coagulate and form larger particles

Steps: 2 and 3

• Sedimentation– Large particles fall to bottom of basin where they

are removed• Filtration– Water is pushed through small particles such as

sand and coal– This removes smaller particles from the water

Steps: 4 and 5

• Disinfection– Disinfectant added to the water to protect against

viruses and bacteria that may be present• Corrosion Control– pH is balanced by alkaline metals to control

corrosion of plumbing in city, businesses and homes

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths• It has been proven to work

over many years.• Take into consideration pH

and the plumbing of the city

Weaknesses• Very archaic way of treating

water• Microbes can easily pass

through Sedimentation and filtration

Solution 2: Boiling

• Heat the contaminated water until the water reaches a point where the microbes in the water are killed by the heat

• Most microbes are killed under 100⁰ C, however boiling the water also removes many gasses from the water

Pros & Cons

Strengths• Simple and cheap process• Can be done practically

anywhere

Weaknesses• Longer boiling time required

when altitude is over sea level by 5000 feet

• “Hard water” causes calcium deposits on equipment

• Boiled water stored for long periods of time grows bacteria again

• Lacks sustainability

Solution 3: Reverse Osmosis (RO)

• Reverse Osmosis– Semi-permeable membrane created to filter water

through.– An impure solution is pushed through the

membrane and pure water comes out.– Like filtration method but more thorough.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths• Most effective for large

scale purifying• Easy to create the

membrane used for this method

Weaknesses• Without proper care the

membrane can become easily clogged with algae and bacteria

• Membrane can easily rip or break

• Most expensive

Proposed Solution

Our Solution

• We will be using proposed solution number 1, the Five Step Water Treatment System

• This process consists of Coagulation, Sedimentation, Filtration, Disinfection, and Corrosion Control

Process Diagram

Why We Chose This Solution

• We chose this solution because it has been proven to work over many years

• This solution also takes into consideration pH and the plumbing of the city, so it can be customized to work best for the situation it is being used in

• The process is sufficiently sustainable (discussed next slide) and cost effective

Is This Process Sustainable?

• Chlorine and other chemicals used to disinfect the water can corrode pipes and taint the water– Therefore, stainless steel pipes will be used in

order to limit this– Equipment always has a functional life and will

eventually need to be replaced

Applicability

• This process is already in place for most large-scale water purification operations

• We will stress the importance of stainless steel piping to limit water impurities

Conclusion

• Water is becoming increasingly polluted and fresh water is becoming more scarce.

• As poor countries have difficulty finding clean water, alternatives developed to unsure humanity has safe water to drink.

• These alternatives include water treatment system, boiling, and reverse osmosis.

• Each way is effective and can help reduce world thirst for years to come.

Conclusion

• With the Better Place Project, we applied our engineering curriculum to a global problem

• We wrote this PowerPoint similar in a lab report format in order to develop our technical writing skills

• This solution is a viable option that is both cost effective and sustainable

Questions?

• Please ask us any questions at the GBC ceremony!

Student Reflections

Student Reflections• “I learned that it is important to make sure everyone's voice is heard. Each

member of the group is valuable and their opinion and wisdom is needed to make the best project.” Lauren Lamping

• Through our Better Place Project, I learned there is "a need, a need for clean water." I also learned we need to give people in need "water they can't refuse." With our research, we found that people can "say hello, to a little clean water!“ Blake Boswell

• “I enjoyed the time we spent working in a group. I liked the discussions we held and how everyone did their part in creating our project. Everyone put forth ideas on what our project could be and it showed that we were interested in our field. It was great working with people who have the same career goals in life.” Melissa Kohne

• “While working on the better place project with my learning community, I learned how fortunate we are to have constant access to clean water. I had no idea how much of our population suffers or die because of lack of sanitary water. After researching and seeing the data, it opened my eyes to a large issue within our world that I hope to one day, as a chemical engineer, help to find a new and more efficient solution.” Kelly Louie

• “Really, the most significant part of the entire program was just making a few good friends. That’s what I took away, for the most part.” Saif Aijaz

• “What I got out of this experience was a group of people who I could go to for homework help and study sessions. I am grateful for that.” Jason Hughes