Water Treatment & Supply

About Water Treatment & Supply

Water Treatment & Supply is a free general knowledge quiz with 15 multiple-choice questions with a mix of 8 medium, 5 easy, 2 hard questions. Dive into questions about water treatment, purification, and supply engineering! A typical run takes about 7 minutes, hints are always one tap away, and your streak ticks up the first time you finish a game on a given day.

A few sample questions

1. 1. What chemical is most commonly used to disinfect drinking water in municipal water treatment plants?

   Answer: Chlorine

   Chlorine is the most widely used disinfectant in municipal water treatment worldwide. It effectively kills bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens, and provides residual protection as water travels through the distribution system.

2. 2. What is the process of removing salt from seawater to make it drinkable called?

   Answer: Desalination

   Desalination is the process of removing dissolved salts and minerals from seawater or brackish water to produce fresh water. The two main methods are reverse osmosis and thermal distillation.

3. 3. In water treatment, what does the sedimentation process accomplish?

   Answer: Allows heavy particles to settle to the bottom

   Sedimentation is a physical process where gravity causes suspended particles and floc to settle to the bottom of a tank. The clear water above is then drawn off for further treatment, while the settled material (sludge) is removed.

4. 4. The ancient Romans built extensive aqueduct systems to supply water. Which famous aqueduct near Nimes, France, still stands today?

   Answer: Pont du Gard

   The Pont du Gard is a Roman aqueduct bridge built in the 1st century AD near Nimes, France. Standing 49 meters high with three tiers of arches, it is one of the best-preserved Roman aqueducts and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

5. 5. What is 'reverse osmosis' in water treatment?

   Answer: Forcing water through a semi-permeable membrane to remove contaminants

   Reverse osmosis forces water under high pressure through a semi-permeable membrane that blocks most dissolved salts, organics, bacteria, and pyrogens. It is widely used in desalination and water purification systems.

Things you'll learn along the way

• ✓Saudi Arabia is the world's largest producer of desalinated water, producing approximately 22% of the world's desalinated water. The country relies heavily on desalination due to its arid climate and limited freshwater resources.
• ✓Fluoride is added to drinking water (fluoridation) primarily to prevent tooth decay. The practice began in the United States in 1945 and has been credited with significantly reducing dental cavities in communities that practice it.
• ✓Coagulation involves adding chemicals (coagulants) like aluminum sulfate to raw water. These chemicals neutralize the electrical charges on fine particles, causing them to clump together into larger particles called 'floc' that can be removed.