Potable Water — GCSE Chemistry Revision
Revise Potable Water for GCSE Chemistry. Step-by-step explanation, worked examples, common mistakes and exam-style practice aligned to AQA, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC, Eduqas, CCEA, Cambridge International (CIE), SQA, IB, AP.
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Go to Waste Water TreatmentWhat is Potable Water?
Potable water is water that is safe to drink. It is not pure water in the chemical sense, as it contains dissolved minerals and salts, but it has been treated to remove harmful microbes and has acceptably low levels of dissolved substances. The methods used to produce potable water depend on the source and quality of the available freshwater.
Board notes: The treatment of water to make it potable is a key topic for all exam boards. You need to know the difference between pure and potable water and be able to describe the main stages of water treatment. Desalination is also covered, especially as a higher-tier topic.
Step-by-step explanationWorked example
In the UK, water from rivers is stored in reservoirs to allow large solids to settle out (sedimentation). It is then passed through filter beds of sand and gravel to remove smaller particles (filtration). Finally, a small amount of chlorine is added to kill any remaining harmful bacteria (chlorination).
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Common mistakes
- 1Confusing potable water with pure water. Potable water is safe to drink but is still a mixture; pure water (H₂O) contains no dissolved substances.
- 2Thinking that all water needs to be treated in the same way. The treatment required depends on the source. River water needs more treatment than groundwater from an aquifer.
- 3Forgetting the main stages of water treatment: sedimentation, filtration, and chlorination.
Potable Water exam questions
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Step-by-step method
Step-by-step explanation
4 steps · Worked method for Potable Water
Core concept
Potable water is water that is safe to drink. It is not pure water in the chemical sense, as it contains dissolved minerals and salts, but it has been treated to remove harmful microbes and has accept…
Frequently asked questions
What is desalination?
Desalination is the process of removing salt from seawater to make it drinkable. It is used in countries with a shortage of fresh water. The main methods are distillation and reverse osmosis, both of which require a lot of energy.
Why is chlorine added to drinking water?
Chlorine is a disinfectant. It is added to kill pathogenic microorganisms (like bacteria and viruses) that could cause disease.