Day 7-12/7/10 Loji Air Batu 5 Sik

Today the journey continues as we are taken for a visit to the water treatment plant in Sik. We waited in the room for Mr. Izzudin until 12pm because he was busy with the legalization problem in the court for food quality control.

The people in charged, Mr. Hazri took us around the plan and show us how the process is carried out.Firstly, the water is being channeled from the mountain river ( Sungai Chepir) near by and then the water will enter a tank.

After that,water is allowed to add a chemical known as PAX-18, with its active ingredient polyaluminium chloride (9% of Al), is a coagulation agent that is used mainly to precipitate phosphates, to prevent surface water eutrophication and incidences of cyanobacteria.

Subsequently, the water will undergo sedimentation to remove the unsoluble dirt.These planks contain multiple slits to ensure more time for the aluminium to react completely in water. Every phase has its own sedimentation tank and the retention time for each tank is 2 hours. To ensure the sedimentation process is effective, this tank is cleaned at least once a month.After that the water is treated with PAC to convert soluble debris into unsoluble debris and followed by its removal by filtration.

The water is then treated with lime to remove the foul smell of the water.The water is then treated with fluorine which functions to strengthen the teeth and also chlorine is added to kill any water borne microorganism.The dosages of fluoride are as recommended by the Jabatan Pergigian Malaysia, 0.7mg/L..Calcium hydroxide (lime) is added into the filtered water to adjust its pH value to a safer pH range for consumption.

Water is stored in the storage tank,there is a "main-meter" includes any meter measuring water, all or part of which is subsequently measured by one or more sub-meters. The water is then pumped out under high pressure to supply the residents.

Before supply to residents, water sampling is taken to investigate the water content as mentioned (refer yesterday blog 11/7/2010). 3 samples will be taken: raw water, Storage Water in the tank, treated water that supply the residents.

Water Sampling

Each water storage tank is supplied by two pump which operate alternately. This is to ensure that in case one pump break down, the other pump can still function thus no water shortage will be faced by the residents

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Summary of Water Treatment