Water and wastes：Water Quality.pdfVIP

P a r t II WATER AND WASTES C h a p t e r 7 Water Quality Whether you are working on a new building or a reno- is unsure whether his or her building’s supply meets vation, problems may arise with the quality of the water. safety standards, a government or private water quality Pesticides, cleaning solvents, and seepage from landfills analyst will provide instructions and containers for tak- pollute groundwater in some rural areas of the United ing samples, and assess the purity of the water supply. States (Fig. 7-1). In urban areas, the level of chlorine The analyst’s report gives numerical values for mineral added to prevent bacterial contamination sometimes re- content, acidity or alkalinity (pH level), contamination, sults in bad tasting water and deterioration of pipes and turbidity, total solids, and biological purity, and an plumbing fixtures. opinion on the sample’s suitability for its intended use. Electric power plants discharge great amounts of waste heat into water, which can change biological and chemical conditions and threaten fish. Steel, paper, and Physical Characteristics textiles are the most polluting industries. The textile in- dustry employs large quantities of water in fiber pro- Even though cloudy or odd-smelling water may not ac- duction and processing and in fabric finishing, espe- tually be harmful to drink, we generally object to these cially dyeing. As a designer, you have the power to avoid physical characteristics. Turbidity—a muddy or cloudy products whose manufacturing include