Potable Water Sources and Treatment

Potable water can be sourced from various freshwater bodies:

1. Rain water
2. Aquifers
3. Lakes
4. Rivers
5. Reservoirs

The process of producing potable water from freshwater typically involves:

1. Selecting a suitable freshwater source
2. Filtering to remove suspended particles and debris
3. Sterilization to eliminate microbes

Definition: Desalination is the process of removing excess salt and other minerals from water to make it suitable for human consumption or irrigation.

Highlight: True or false? Drinking water is treated to ensure it has low enough levels of dissolved salts. True. Potable water treatment aims to reduce dissolved minerals to acceptable levels.

Five differences between pure water and potable water include:

1. Pure water contains no dissolved substances, while potable water does.
2. Potable water may have a slight taste due to minerals, while pure water is tasteless.
3. Pure water is not found naturally, while potable water can be sourced from natural bodies.
4. Potable water contains beneficial minerals, while pure water lacks these.
5. Pure water can be corrosive to pipes, while potable water's mineral content helps prevent this.

Example: The desalination process for producing potable water typically involves reverse osmosis or distillation techniques to remove salt from seawater.