Water treatment Netherlands by 10 waterworks compare

From dirty water via water treatment to cleaner water

The average person in the Netherlands consumes 130 litres of water per day. We use this water as drinking water, but it can also be used for bathing and flushing the toilet. Together with rainwater, this waste water ends up in the sewer. Then the water goes through a water treatment process. Is extra water treatment at home in your own home nonsense? We believe that bringing extra water purification into your home is a good health choice.

Purification processes

Waterworks produce tap water from different sources: groundwater, surface water and filtered dune water. Through a process with several filtration steps, drinking water is made again. Through a water supply network, waterworks deliver tap water to your home or business. Filtration of surface water into drinking water - possibly by pumping it into the dunes as well - is not a straightforward process. Spring water from deep underground also undergoes the necessary water purification treatments.

Treating surface water

• River water from the Rhine, Waal and Meuse rivers first flows into a reservoir. Water quality is improved here by keeping the water there for 4 to 6 months. The surface water is then pumped into a drinking water treatment plant.
• Here, the water is passed through microscreens to remove coarse impurities in the water. Next, water utilities add a coagulant such as aluminium sulphate or ferric chloride to the water. These substances bind sludge particles and other impurities like a magnet. The small dirt particles are thereby filtered out of the water.
• A double-layer filter then removes the flakes from the water along with the bound dirt.
• Then water utilities bacteriologically clean the water with ultraviolet (UV) called primary disinfection.
• The water then flows through an activated carbon filter, eliminating all colours, tastes and odours.
• Then Ten kills the bacteria inside the activated carbon filters.
• The water is then softened with a pH that meets the standard.
• Finally, they store the purified drinking water in cellars or reservoirs.

Water treatment via filtered dune water

Fresh water is pumped into the dunes via a pumping station and through a water pipeline. First, fish are collected in a pumping station and returned to their habitat. Before it is pumped into the dunes, the water is treated.

• A few sieves are used to remove the coarse impurities in the water. Then a coagulant such as ferric chloride is added. This so-called flocculant binds small particles like mud and all other common impurities like a magnet. The double-layer filter then removes the iron particles found in the water along with all other impurities to be filtered.
• In terms of treatment, the water is now ready to be pumped into the sand dunes. Through permeable ponds in the dune areas, the water slowly seeps into the soil.
• On average, the water is pumped back up after 30 to 45 days. By then, the water is almost devoid of oxygen. Aeration then filters out methane, ammonium, iron and manganese from the water. In these filters, the waterworks remove the manganese and iron precipitates formed and the ammonium is transformed into nitrate through a chemical reaction.
• The water is then aerated again and passed through an activated carbon filter where flavours, colours and odours are removed. The main water purification process takes place by ultra-fine water filtration (UF). Water flows through a thin straw with small holes through which the dune water is filtered even further.
• Finally, the filtered dune water is stored in underground drinking water reservoirs in the dune area.

Purifying spring water

Purification of groundwater from the 23 wells the Netherlands has by pumping this groundwater from 50 to 400 metres.

• The water is first aerated to remove the methane. As a result, dissolved manganese and iron particles clump together and the waterworks remove them through a sand filter.
• The water is softened in a softening reactor. Inside this reactor are large tanks containing dissolved caustic soda, milk of lime or silver sand. Lime sticks to silver sand and the sand grains get bigger and bigger as a result. Eventually, they settle and can be disposed of very easily.
• Next, a number of filters remove the very small particles in the water.
• The water is then stored in drinking water reservoirs

Finally, because of these purification processes, tap water is of high quality according to the standards from the Drinking Water Act, and the water companies deliver tap water to your door via an underground water supply network.

Water treatment at home in your own home needed?

A good water filter at home which captures nano particles is thus indispensable. A Buy water ioniser with built-in ultra fine water treatment for home is also of great use in detoxifying your body with the oxygen-rich water. So choosing extra water purification in the home i.c.w. a water ioniser has many advantages. This puts everything in a different light in terms of water treatment!