Thursday, June 21, 2018

A Few Points On Municipal Water Treatment In Kenya

By Betty Murray


Treatment of water is essential in making it safe for human consumption. Other than drinking, it is important to treat it for other domestic purposes such as washing, cooking and even for use by animals . Hard water may not lather easily when washing clothes. Untreated water used for bathing can result in skin infections and allergies. Municipal water treatment in Kenya should be given utmost consideration in all places across the country to safeguard the lives of citizens.

Filtration, sedimentation, aeration, use of disinfectants and chlorination are some of the methods involved in the treatment process. As to what technique will be employed in a given situation, it should be stated that it largely depends on the type of substance being treated against.

To reduce the amount of waste that goes to the environment, various used materials can be treated and reused for the same purpose or for any other use. Recycling not only keeps the environment clean but also reduces the cost of manufacturing. Failure to treat the waste water makes it expensive to maintain industrial machinery because of tendency to form scales that result in increased heat resistance. This also causes blockage of pipes. Treatment aims at regulating oxygen and alkalinity levels.

Waterborne diseases in developing countries such as Kenya have been attributed to failure to have a proper treatment process. There is a very high mortality rate associated with dirty water particularly among young children. This can be reversed through creation of robust treatment programs at local level. The community needs to be educated on ways to keep the commodity safe for use.

One of the major reasons why high rates of death are recorded in developing nations particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa is poor hygiene. Lack of treatment plants results in the commodity reaching the community when it is not fit enough for consumption. There is a huge need for the government and the private sector to step in so as to reduce the disease burden.

Sewage material should be treated before being discarded to the environment. The process here entails separation of solids from the liquid part. Common steps involved in effluent management include slow sand filtration, activated sludge and aerated ponds. Aerated lagoons, also known as ponds utilize oxygen to facilitate oxidation of microbes. Activated sludge equally works in the presence of oxygen. At the end of day, solids are carefully isolated from the liquid.

Slow sand filtration does not exactly rely on the sand as a filter. As a matter of fact, the sand only acts as a carrier. It contains a biofilm which serves as the natural filter. Typically, the filter system is about one and a half meters deep. It can be created to be cylindrical or rectangular in shape.

In conclusion it is important to state that an effective effluent management process is essential in sustaining the well-being of communities. Various methods are now available. These can be biological, chemical or electrical. The disadvantage of electrical methods is that very high levels of electricity are consumed which may not be affordable for developing nations hence the need to also consider renewable energy.




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