Friday, September 12, 2014

As the River Flows...

As our class will soon be exploring the Trinity River, I feel it is important for the class to be aware of the Fort Worth Water System and where some of the water comes from. Luckily, my ecology class has just discussed this topic, so I have the credibility to explain it!
It is first very important to know that a lot of the water for the people of Fort Worth originates in the Trinity River. After the Trinity River is filled by rain, it flows into reservoirs. Dams are built throughout rivers to create the reservoirs for consistent supply for the city; an example of this is Eagle Mountain Lake, which was formed by damming the Trinity River. The water supply for Fort Worth is supplied by six different reservoirs about Texas. From the reservoir, the water is then pumped into a water treatment plant to be cleaned for the city. Next, homes and businesses all around the city receive this clean, but recycled, water. After use, the water is treated in a sewage treatment plant and then discharged back into the river. Though this process seems simple, there are many steps also included to efficiently recycle the water using the least amount of energy and being the least harmful to the environment!
The water treatment plant, the first location of the water out of the reservoir, is utilized to remove phytoplankton, clay and bacteria. This process begins with primary disinfection, which uses ozone or monochloramine to kill viruses and bacteria. Next coagulants are added to the water allowing small particles to clump together and eventually be settled out in the coagulation basin and sedimentation basin. The water is now filtered through sand and gravel so that most fine particles are removed. With the water only containing little molecules, it is disinfected again to be rid of any bacteria. This process is repeated until reaching the faucet because of the great amounts of illnesses dirty water can provide. Fluoride is also added at this step to prevent the disinfectant chemicals from causing tooth decay.
When leaving homes and businesses, the water must inter a wastewater treatment plant. The water travels the Trinity River down past Dallas and travels via pipes back up to the area as clean water. The water enters this processes as raw sewage, and quickly large pieces are filtered out by the bar screen and grit removal. The primary clarifier produces primary sludge as large basins slowly allow muck to settle out at the bottom. Air is pumped into the next phase, the aeration basin, so that bacteria can thrive and eat away at the organic matter still existing. Another round of clarifiers now are used to settle out the bacteria and left over matter. Gravel, clay and sand filtration again filters the water, and is followed by a final disinfection phase. During this disinfection phase, sulfur dioxide is added to prevent the toxicity of the chlorination from harming the wildlife in the Trinity River. The effluent will now travel the Trinity River and piping to reach travel back North.

                       The Trinity River is the start and the finish of the path of Fort Worth receiving its water. Although not the most appealing process, it is fascinating to know how important the little stream that flows by our campus truly is. Not only providing a place for recreation and natural wildlife, it also provides us with one of our most essential necessities of life, making me much more grateful for the flow of the Trinity River.

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