What method is used for the removal of sediment and suspended materials before disinfection?

Filtration is the method used for the removal of sediment and suspended materials before disinfection. This process involves passing water through a porous medium that traps particles, thereby improving the water quality by reducing turbidity and allowing contaminants to be more effectively removed.

In the context of drinking water treatment, sediment and suspended solids can interfere with disinfection processes by shielding pathogens from disinfectants, thereby diminishing their efficacy. Therefore, implementing filtration prior to disinfection ensures a clearer water supply and enhances the overall efficiency of the disinfection step that follows.

Coagulation, while also an important part of water treatment, serves a different purpose. It involves the addition of chemicals that cause particles to clump together (coagulate) to form larger aggregates that can subsequently be removed from the water, often as a prelude to filtration.

Disinfection encompasses processes that eliminate or deactivate harmful microorganisms, such as chlorination and UV treatment, and does not specifically deal with the removal of larger suspended materials, which is why filtration comes first.

Chlorination is a specific method of disinfection that uses chlorine to kill pathogenic organisms. It assumes the water has already been treated to remove sediment and other matter that could impair the effectiveness of the chlorine, underscoring the necessity of