Visit to The Apulian Water Plant

APULIAN water works

Water  covers over 70% of the earth’s surface and is a very important resource for people and the environment.Water pollution affects drinking water,rivers,lakes and oceans.This consequently harms human health and the natural environment.

Water can be polluted by:

. nitrates from fertilize runoff

. lead compounds from lead pipes

. pesticides sprayed near water resources

That’s why water must be treated before being used

Plastic Apulian water works

The”Sinni” water treatment plant  is considered the most important one in our region, the treated water is that of the river, Monte Cotugno crossed with a large reservoir of 450 million cubic meters created by a  clay dam . The finished product is drinking water free of any bacterial forms but rich in minerals: calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium. Drinking water is then sent into the distribution network . The plant is located in the vicinity of the Baker Farm in the countryside of Laterza (TA).

Tanks of treated water

These tanks are equipped with pipes that are connected with all the water supply tanks to keep them under constant control. These are always in continuous operation but even so water is never wasted because it is fed back into the tanks.

Sedimentation tanks

The gravity settling is a method of mechanical separation of the phases that make up an emulsion or a suspension based on the process of spontaneous sedimentation. This method separates the phases exploiting the gravity force . It is therefore  more effective when the density of the suspended particles is greater than the liquid that acts as a solvent. Another parameter that affects  decantation is the size of suspended particles. The smaller they are,the less effective decanting is .

Sludge dehydration

Dehydration  is a treatment to which  sludge, from the sludge line of  sewage treatment  or drinking water plants, is subjected, in order to reduce the water content and makes the subsequent operations of treatment and disposal -  direct disposal  (eg in agriculture) or incineration more economic and easier.

The dehydration may be effected either on a raw mud or on a stable one.

After treatment, the sludge is  a material of semisolid consistency.

In the case where  the incineration of the sludge is foreseen, a treatment of dehydration is also intended to increase the calorific value of the mud itself.

Students visiting the plant