Where water goes after flushing the toilet
The waste water from the toilets is directed to either in the septic tanks, biofilters or to enter in to the aerobic treatment systems. In some cases, the water from the toilet is collected and carried through a network of pipes and pump stations to a municipal treatment plant. In collecting and treating the sewage, the standards and regulations have to be followed.
Level of treatment that occurs
The treatment of the sewage undergoes through stages which include the primary treatment, secondary treatment, and the tertiary treatment. The primary treatment involves holding of the sewage on a temporary basis in a quiescent basin. Here, there can be the settlement of the heavy solids to the bottom while the lighter solids float on the surface. Both the heavy materials settling at the bottom and the lighter materials that are floating are removed and the liquid that remains may be discharged or taken for secondary treatment (U.S Environmental protection Agency, Para 1).
Pollutants that may still be in the wastewater
The purpose of exposing the water to secondary treatment is to remove the dissolved and suspended biological material. Treating sewage is usually done by micro-organisms that are water-born in an environment that is managed. The treatment here may call for taking apart procedure in which there is the taking away of the micro-organisms from the water that is treated before releasing it or before tertiary treatment is carried out.
Destination of the water that is treated
Tertiary treatment refers to whatever treatment that is done after the primary and secondary treatment having been carried out. In some instances, treated water undergoes disinfection either chemically or physically before being discharged in to a river, or a stream, lagoon, wetland, or bay. The water that has undergone treatment can as well be utilized in the irrigation among other uses. In the case where water that has undergone treatment is very much clean, this water can be utilized for groundwater revival or can be used in carrying out agricultural activities.
Origin of drinking water
The origin of the drinking water is either the groundwater or the surface water.. The surface water includes water from the rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. In considering the ground water, this water is pumped from the wells that are drilled in to ground (Anonymous: Sources of drinking water, Para 1).
The capacity of the water supply source
In regard to the underground water, the capacity of the water supply is determined by the nature of the rock in the aquifer from which the drawing of water is carried out. It is also determined by the kind of soil. The wells might be very shallow while others are very deep. Many of the water systems have more ground water than the surface water as a source (approx. 147,000 v. 14,500). However, most of the people drink water that comes from the surface water system which is 195 million v. 101, 400. The water supply systems that are large scale are inclined to rely on the surface water resources and on the other hand, the water supply systems that are smaller are inclined to depend on the ground water. The information about the actual source of your water in the faucet can be given by the public works department or your water utility department (Anonymous, Where does my drinking water come from and how is it treated, Para 1).
The efforts that are carried out to make sure drinking water is of high quality
There is disparity in the level as well as type of treatment. This depends on the quality of the water and where this water is coming from. The surface water needs much more treatment than the ground water. This is so because the surface water is exposed to the atmosphere where there is a high possibility of the water getting contaminated.
The suppliers of water utilize various processes of treatment to eliminate contaminants from the water that is used for drinking. The processes are arranged on the individual basis in carrying out the treatment of the water. Various processes are carried out in the cause of treating the water. Among these processes we have such processes as filtration, coagulation, and disinfection. Other processes such as ion exchange as well as adsorption can also be used in some cases. There is the selection of the treatment combination of water that is the most appropriate to offer treatment to contaminants that can be found in the source of water of the particular system (Anonymous, Where does my drinking water come from and how is it treated, Para 4).
Threats to the quality of drinking water and what to be done if the water sources are contaminated
Our drinking water is under various threats resulting from water pollution originating from sewage that comes from the toilet systems as well as industrial wastes. In the case where the water supply becomes contaminated, efforts should be carried out to ensure thorough treatment before using the water to prevent people from catching diseases that can cause great harm to human life. Of much significance, efforts should be carried out to offer maximum protection to our water sources, both underground water sources as well as the surface water sources.
Works Cited
Anonymous. “Where does my drinking water come from and how is it treated?” Pueblo. 2010. Web.
Anonymous. “Sources of drinking water.” National Service Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP). 2007. Web.
U.S Environmental protection Agency (N.d). “What can we do to protect local waterways?” National Service Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP). 2007. Web.