What role does sedimentation play in water treatment?

Sedimentation is a crucial process in water treatment, serving the purpose of allowing heavier particles, such as silt, sand, and other suspended solids, to settle at the bottom of a treatment tank or basin due to gravity. This process reduces the turbidity of the water, making it clearer and preparing it for subsequent treatment steps, such as filtration and disinfection. By removing these larger particles, sedimentation helps decrease the load on later treatment processes, ensuring they operate more efficiently.

This step is especially important because it greatly enhances the overall quality of the water, making it safer and cleaner before disinfection occurs. The removal of heavy particles also minimizes the risk of equipment clogging and can improve the performance of additional treatment technologies used later in the water purification process.