WATER: Sources, Properties,

Uses And Purification

Dr. Solomon O. O.
Community Medicine Department
Ekiti State University

1
 Outline
• Introduction
• Properties
• Sources of water
• Hydrological cycle
• Uses of Water
• Purification of water
• Conclusion

2
 Introduction
• Water is vital for all known forms of life, even though it provides no
calories or organic nutrients.

• In 1980, the United Nations General Assembly launched the

International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade, 1981-
1990. The aim being to provide all people with adequate supplies of
safe water and sanitation by 1990.

• In 1981, the 34th World Health Assembly in her solution emphasized

that safe drinking water is a basic element of "primary health care“
which is the key to the attainment of "Health for All by the year
2000 AD".

• Water is also integrated with other PHC components because it is

an essential part of health education, food and nutrition, and MCH. 3
 Global Water Crisis
• Water-related disease kills 1 child every 8 s!

• 50% of people in developing countries suffer from

one or more water-related diseases

• 50% of population lacks adequate sanitation

• Contaminated water
- causes 80% of developing world diseases
- has pushed 20% of freshwater fish species to the
edge of extinction 4
 Properties
Water is:

• Transparent

• Odourless

• Tasteless and

• Colourless
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 Sources of Water
• There are three main sources of water :
• 1. RAIN

• 2. SURFACE WATER
• Impounding reservoirs
• Rivers and streams
• Tanks, ponds and lakes.

• 3. GROUND WATER
• Shallow wells
• Deep wells
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 Sources of Water Cont’
Rain
Is the prime source of all water.
• CHARACTERISTICS : Rainwater is the purest water in nature. It
is formed as a result of condensation of water vapour in the
atmosphere.

Physically, it is clear, bright and sparkling.

Chemically, it is very soft water containing only traces of dissolved

solids (0.0005 per cent). Being soft, it has a corrosive action on
lead pipes.

Bacteriologically, rainwater from clean districts is free from

pathogenic agents. 7
 Sources Of Water Cont’
• Surface water
• Surface water originates from rainwater. It is the main
source of water supply in many areas. Examples of
surface water include rivers, tanks, lakes, man-made
reservoirs and sea water.

• Surface water is prone to contamination from human

and animal sources. As such it is never safe for human
consumption unless subjected to sanitary protection
and purification before use.

• In general, surface water supplies possess a high

probability of organic, bacterial and viral contamination.8
9
 Sources of Water Cont’
3. Ground water
Rainwater percolating into ground constitutes ground
water. Ground water is the cheapest and most
practical means of providing water to small
communities. Ground water is superior to surface
water, because the ground itself provides an effective
filtering medium. The advantages of ground water are:
(1) it is likely to be free from pathogenic agents
(2) it usually requires no treatment,
(3) the supply is likely to be certain even during dry
season
(4) It is less subject to contamination than surface water.10
 The disadvantages
are:
(1) it is high in mineral content, e.g., salts of
calcium and magnesium which render the
water hard
(2) it requires pumping or some arrangement to
lift the water.
The usual ground water sources are wells and
springs. Wells have been classified into shallow
and deep wells, dug and tube wells.
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 Water Cycle or Hydrologic Cycle
• The water cycle consists of four distinct stages:
precipitation, runoff, storage, evaporation and
transpiration.

• 1.Precipitation-occurs when water vapour in the

atmosphere condenses into clouds and falls to
the earth. Precipitation can take a variety of
forms, including rain, snow, ice pellets, and hail.

• 2. Runoff- Water that flows down streams and

rivers into the seas is called surface runoff 12
 Water Cycle - 2
• 3. Storage-The water from precipitation is stored on
the earth in both liquid and solid forms. Of the 1.4
billion cubic km of water on earth, slightly more than
97% is salt water stored in the oceans.

• Fresh water is found in glaciers, ice caps, lakes, and

rivers. It is also stored as ground water in the soil and
rocks.

• 4.Evaporation and Transpiration- Evaporation is the

process by which water in the ocean and on land
changes to water vapor and enters the atmosphere as
gas. Evaporation from plants is called transpiration. 13
14
 Uses of Water
• (1) Domestic use : on the domestic front, water is
required for drinking, cooking, washing and bathing,
flushing of toilets, gardening etc.

• (2) Public purposes : cleaning streets, recreational

purposes like swimming pools, public fountains and
ornamental ponds, fire protection and public parks.

• (3) Industrial purposes : for processing and cooling;

• (4) Agricultural purpose : irrigation 15

 Uses of Water
(5) Power production from hydropower and
steam power

(6) Carrying away waste from Establishments and

Institutions.

Water is therefore an essential factor in the

economic, social and cultural development of a
community. It can eliminate diseases, promote
rural development and improve quality of life.
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 Water quality
• Water quality: potable water is one that is safe and
attractive to use. It is characterised by the following:
• Absence of disease causing organisms e.g. protozoa,
bacteria, viruses

• Absence of poisonous chemicals (preserved naturally

or introduced artificially) e.g. nitrates, fluorides, trace
metals.

• Absence of excessive organic and inorganic •

substances which give rise to colour, odour and taste
e.g. ammonia. 17
 Water Pollution
• Pure uncontaminated water does not occur in nature. It
contains impurities of various kinds –
- Natural and
- Man-made
• The natural impurities are not essentially dangerous.
These comprise
• Dissolved gases (e.g. nitrogen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen
sulphide, etc. which may be picked up during rainfall), and
• Dissolved minerals (e.g., salts of calcium, magnesium,
sodium, etc.) which are natural constituents of water
following its contact with soil; and
• Suspended impurities (e.g., clay, silt, sand and mud), and
microscopic organisms. These impurities are derived from
the atmosphere, catchment area and the soil. 18
 Water Pollution
A more serious aspect of water pollution is that caused by human
activity - urbanization and industrialization. The sources of
pollution resulting from these are :
(a) Sewage, which contains decomposable organic matter and
pathogenic agents
(b) Industrial and trade wastes, which contain toxic agents ranging
from metal salts to complex synthetic organic chemicals
(c) Agricultural pollutants, which comprise fertilizers and
pesticides, and
(d) Physical pollutants, viz heat (thermal pollution) and radioactive
substances.
The indicators of pollution include the amount of total suspended
solids, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) at 20 deg. C,
concentration of chlorides, nitrogen and phosphorus and
absence of dissolved oxygen. 19
 PURIFICATION OF WATER
Purification of water is of great importance in
Community Medicine. It may be considered
under two headings:
1. Purification of water on a large scale.
2. Purification of water on a small scale.

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 Purification of water on a large scale.
• Urban (Conventional) water treatment
• Pre-treatment (screening)
• Storage
• Aeration
• Chemical clarification: Coagulation and flocculation
• Sedimentation
• Filtration
• – Slow sand filters
• – Rapid sand filters
• – Pressure filters
• Disinfection 21
Purification of water on a small scale
• For small communities, it is generally preferable to protect
a groundwater source that requires little or no treatment
than to treat surface water that has been exposed to
faecal contamination and is usually of poor quality.

• In many circumstances, however, surface water is the

Rural/Household water treatment only practicable source
of supply and requires affordable treatment and
disinfection.

• The range of treatments available for small community

supplies is necessarily limited by technical and financial
considerations 22
• Faecally contaminated water can be treated by:
• — boiling
• — storage
• — filtration using simple household filters
• (monofilament filter, cloth, candle and sand filter),
• — alum
• —chemical disinfection (pot chlorinators for wells
• -1.5kg bleaching powder+3kg sand).
• —Solar disinfection
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 CONCLUSION
• Water is vital for survival and hence,
availability of adequate quantities of potable
water is necessary for health.

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 REFERENCES
• 1. WHO (2000) Global Water Supply and
Sanitation Assessment. World Health
Organization, Geneva.
• 2. WHO (2014), World Health Statistics 2014.
• 3. Park’s textbook of Preventive and Social
Medicine (23rd Edition)

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THANK YOU!

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