CHEMISTRY AND TECHNOLOGY

2007-03-22T04:41:00.000-07:00

AQUA SERV PURIFIED DRINKING WATER

I. Introduction

Aqua Serv is a drinking water refilling station engaged in the production of purified water packaged in a 5-gallon food-grade see-thru plastic container. The establishment is located along the South National Road corner Caballero Street in Barangay Poblacion Ward I, Minglanilla, Cebu.
The establishment employed two (2) personnel in its operation, one for delivery and one in the water production. However, all personnel were involved in the cleaning and sanitary maintenance of the system. Sanitation up keeping is to be conducted once in the morning and prior closing time.
Aqua Serv was chosen by Thirst-Stop because of its good standing in various Philippine communities and its well known quality in purified drinking water and sweetness in taste which is derived from the US manufactured 16 stage true Reverse Osmosis water purification equipment.

II. Background

The Municipality of Minglanilla is situated in the south-eastern side of Cebu Province bounded by the following: North by City of Talisay; South by Municipality of Naga; East by Bohol Sea and West by City of Toledo.
The Municipality has a Level I, II, III water supply system. Two major operator of the municipality’s Level III water systems are Minglanilla Water Supply and Sanitation Cooperative (MIWASSCO) a Government Funded Project but managed by a cooperative and HELPMATE, a private enterprise. Sufficiency and quality of water resources are the immediate and life sustaining concern of the municipality, wherein water is not available 24 hours a day. With the continued pollution and high population growth, quality and quantity of drinking water is adversely affected.
Due to frequent unavailability of water supplied by these two major operators, residents opted to construct deep wells for other domestic uses. But due to high density of houses within the municipality’s growth area the 25-meter safe distance from nearest septic tank is no longer attainable making water drawn from these wells not potable for drinking. Thus Aqua Serv opted to venture this business of providing continuous, potable but very affordable Purified Drinking Water.

III. Mission/Vision
A. Mission
It is our commitment to provide each of our customers with the best products available for their specific needs. Product recommendations are followed up with "Service That Counts" to insure that all aspects of their water management needs are being addressed with the latest technology available.
B. Vision
As the top-consumer choice of the community, we look forward in the successful and healthy lifestyle of our customers by our very own purified drinking water. We definitely assure the "Service That Counts" in the adaptability of our customers.

IV. Products of the Company
A. Products
Aqua Serv bottled water is available in 500ml and 5 gallon refills. New customers have the free use of a table top dispenser when purchasing a minimum of 2 - 5 gallon refills per week. Also available are Hot and Cold electric dispensers which can be purchased or hired and they offer customers a free collection and delivery service.
B. Production Capacity and Production Rate
The system has a maximum production capacity of three thousand (3,000) gallons per day or six hundred (600) containers a day. However, initial daily production of the system is estimated at only fifty (50) containers of 5-gal each or a mere 8.33% of the total capacity of the system.
C. Process
Purification equipment installed was a Gold Series 3,000 GPD Aqua Add-on System Technology. Gold Series system wall mounted is advanced water system and purification equipment designed for water refilling stations for commercial use. This U.S. Technology is a superior system not only for commercial but as well as for other industrial application needed in the water treatment. The water purification system undergoes sixteen stages:

1st Unit − Multi Media Sediment Process

This process consists of an ARP Multi Media Sediment System which includes four (4) Sediment Removal Stages.

1st Stage
The water passes through a COARSE GRAVEL which traps solid particles of about 100 microns
2nd Stage
The water passes through a SAND FILTER that removes sediment of 50 micron
3rd Stage
The water passes through a FINE SAND filter that eliminate solid particles of 25 micron
4th Stage
The water passes through a FINE CLEAR SILT filter that eliminate solid particles of 10 micron

2nd Unit − Multi Media Carbon Process

This process consist of an ARP Multi Media Sediment System that makes use of Carbon which includes three (3) type of Carbon that removes both Inorganic and Organic chemicals that greatly affect the quality of the water. The three (3) Carbon that makes up this system are as follows:

5th Stage
Makes use of a LIGNITE CARBON that removes foul TASTE and ODOR.
6th Stage
Makes use of a BITUMINOUS CARBON that eliminates YELLOWISH and BROWNISH colors of contaminated water.
7th Stage
Makes use of a GRANULAR ACTIVATED CARBON (GAC) that serves as the last multi-media carbon stage where water undergoes longer contact time with the carbon that eliminates other contaminants that might cause foul smell or taste.

3rd Unit − Water Conditioning and Softening Process

This is also an ARP System that includes a Water Softener and Conditioning Process

8th Stage
Makes use RESIN BEADS that attracts Mineral contents that convert Hard Water into Soft Water.
9th Stage
Makes use ION EXCHANGE BEADS that does not only convert Hard Water into Soft Water but conditions water by extracting the Inorganic and Organic chemicals present in water.
10th Stage
Makes use of another CARBON that eliminates any Ferrous Iron (dissolved iron) in the water.
11th Stage
Makes use of fine gravel that serves as a sieve that eliminates any residue that might come out during regeneration time. This unit also serves as a cleansing agent.

4th − Ultra Micron Process

12th Stage
Consists of one blue big housing that includes 1-micron cartridge that eliminates any microscopic residue that might go to the Reverse Osmosis. This is the stage of filtration that will further protect the R.O. unit from premature clogging.

5th Unit − Reverse Osmosis

13th Stage
The heart of the system makes use of REVERSE OSMOSIS equipment which has a semi-permeable membrane that only allows pure water to pass and pushing impure water out of the system to the reverse side which is the reject drain line of the system.

6th Unit − Polishing Process

14th Stage
Is a 5 micron CARBON cartridge filter that serves as a polishing stage to make the water crystal clear and shiny.

7th Unit − Anti-Microbial Process

15th Stage
This stage will eliminate a disease-causing micro-organism called cyst. Makes use of a filter with 0.5 micron polishing rating.

8th Unit − Water Sterilization Process

16th Stage
Makes use of water sterilization process, ULTRA VIOLET LIGHT, which kill and destroy micro-organisms and other disease-causing bacteria thereby assuring the quality of water which is safe and pure.

V. Source and Quantity of Water

A. Source and Quality of Raw Water
The raw water is sourced from MIWASSCO, wherein the establishment is within its service area. It is then deposited in the raw water stainless tank that served as the feed bank for the system. Raw water is already potable considering that it comes from a Level III water system already treated prior distribution to individual consumers.

B. Quantity
Water purifying equipment to be installed has a daily capacity of three thousand (3,000) gallons (11,340 liters) or 600 containers of 5-gallons capacity per day. However, due to stiff competition, daily production is projected to reach 50 containers a day (250 GPD only or a mere 950 liters per day).

Initial monthly water consumption of the establishment is projected to reach forty-three (43) cubic meters based on production and estimated washing/back flashing. Assumption is as computed below:
Daily Production = 950 liters
= 30 (days in a month)
==========
28,500 liters per month
Add: 14,500 (50% for washing and back flashing)
==========
Estimated Monthly Water Consumption 42,750 say 43,000 liters per month (43.00 m3)

VI. Impact on the Community

The community is the main customer of the establishment. The lifestyle of the community changed a lot when the purified drinking water appeared. They can drink purified drinking water in just a very cheap price and in safe way.

VII. Environmental Issues

A. Issues
The origin, composition, and quantity of waste are related to existing life patterns. When waste matter enters water, the resulting product is called sewage or wastewater. Dumping refuse in the streets caused significant quantities of organic matter to be carried along with the rainwater run-off. Discharge of sewage anywhere can lead to serious health problems.

B. Prevention
At the beginning of the establishment, disposal and waste began to recognize that the discharge of sewage directly into the streams caused health problems, and this led to the construction of sewage-treatment facilities. A drainage canal along the national road conveys floodwater towards to the sea about one and a half (1.5) kilometers from the establishment. The solid wastes include dissolved and suspended solids. Dissolved solids are the materials that will pass through a filter paper, and suspended solids are those that do not. The suspended solids are further divided into settleable and nonsettleable solids, depending on how many milligrams of the solids will settle out of 1 litre of wastewater in 1 hour. All these classes of solids can be divided into volatile or fixed solids, the volatile solids generally being organic materials and the fixed solids being inorganic or mineral matter.

C. Environmental Condition
The establishment was situated in a mixed commercial-residential zone in Barangay Ward I wherein a 100-meter farther north is a Caltex gasoline station. Municipal garbage dumping area and cemetery are kilometers away from the establishment. Trees present are Gmelina, Star Apple, Coconut, and Jackfruit.

VIII. Concepts applied to Chemistry
The process of water purification is the transformation of water from a non-drinkable state to a drinkable state. This is done when the water is poisonous or determined to be potentially hazardous to the health by a consumer. This unfortunately is happening more and more as ever larger amounts of chemicals find their way into our water sources. The damage that these chemicals and contaminants can do to us is both wide ranging and frightening.

Suspended and dissolved impurities present in naturally occurring water make it unsuitable for many purposes. Objectionable organic and inorganic materials are removed by such methods as screening and sedimentation to eliminate suspended materials; treatment with such compounds as activated carbon to remove tastes and odours; filtration; and chlorination or irradiation to kill infective micro-organisms.
In aeration, or the saturation of water with air, water is brought into contact with air in such a manner as to produce maximum diffusion, usually by spraying water into the air in fountains. Aeration removes odours and taste caused by decomposing organic matter, and also industrial wastes such as phenols and volatile gases such as chlorine. It also converts dissolved iron and manganese compounds into insoluble hydrated oxides of the metals which may then be readily settled out.
Hardness of natural waters is caused largely by calcium and magnesium salts and to a small extent by iron, aluminum, and other metals. Hardness resulting from the bicarbonates and carbonates of calcium and magnesium is called temporary hardness and can be removed by boiling, which also sterilizes the water. The residual hardness is known as noncarbonate, or permanent, hardness. The methods of softening noncarbonate hardness include the addition of sodium carbonate and lime and filtration through natural or artificial zeolites which absorb the hardness-producing metallic ions and release sodium ions to the water. Sequestering agents in detergents serve to render the substances that make water hard inactive.
Iron, which causes an unpleasant taste in drinking water, may be removed by aeration and sedimentation or by passing the water through iron-removing zeolite filters, or the iron may be stabilized by addition of such salts as polyphosphates. For use in laboratory applications, water is either distilled or demineralized by passing it through ion-absorbing compounds.

IX. Relevance/Significance of the Study

This study was conducted to greatly understood the processes on how the water we drink made. By this, we can directly pinpoint such happening on how the water was purified.

X. Recommendations

People who cannot afford a purified drinking water can also make one for them in their home by simple means. Like boiling of water to kill most of the bacteria contain in the water.

XI. Future Plans
Due to the in-demand of such product, Aqua Serv estimated to have a wider range of production on the succeeding years. For the year 2007, service area population estimated at three ninety nine thousand (399,000). By the year 2015 the population is estimated to grow to five hundred forty two thousand (542,000).

cHemisTry and tEchnoLoGy

CHEMISTRY AND TECHNOLOGY