South Fork Water Board Water Treatment Plant

The treatment process includes flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, and chlorination of the raw water to remove any harmful bacteria. This is called a “conventional” treatment process.  The flocculation process coagulates (joins together) particles with the alum so that they settle out of the water as sediment. Sedimentation is simply a gravity process that removes flocculated particles from the water.

Filtration removes remaining particles from the water supply. Those particles may include silt, natural organic matter, and microorganisms. Filtration clarifies water and improves the effectiveness of disinfection. Water is then disinfected with chlorine to ensure that dangerous microbes are killed. Chlorine also provides residual protection against biological contamination in the water distribution system.