System Aeration

Aeration System Plant

The process of bringing water and air into contact with each other is called Aeration. This can be accomplished by spraying or cascading the water into air or by injecting air into the water. The primary purpose of Aeration for Water Treatment is for "Degasification" and "Oxygenation".

Aeration of water helps in the reduction of dissolved residual gases like Radon, volatile organic chemicals (VOC's) and removal of some undesirable odors. It can also be helpful with the chemical reduction of Ferrous Iron and Manganous Manganese.

The pH scale determines how Acidic or Alkaline a solution is. The scale ranges from 1 to 14 with 7.0 being "Neutral". A pH below 7.0 is considered "Acidic" and a pH above 7.0 is "Alkaline". Each single numerical increase or decrease represents a tenfold increase in Acidity or Alkalinity. Acid is a substance that releases Hydrogen Ions (H+) when dissolved in solution and the solution develops a higher concentration of Hydrogen Ions (H+) compared to Hydroxyl Ions (OH-). An "Alkali" substance will cause a solution to become Alkaline and produce a concentration of Hydroxyl Ions (OH-) that is greater than the Hydrogen Ions (H+).

Aeration System Treatment

One of the main reasons for the control of pH is to reduce corrosion. Low pH water has a corrosive effect on metal surfaces such as Brass, Copper, Cadmium, Lead and Zinc and can leave stains on plumbing fixtures. Water may become Acidic from the presence of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and the lack of alkalinity to offset the Acid. Carbon Dioxide may get into well water from absorbing the CO2 released from decaying vegetation. The CO2 can combine with water to form Carbonic Acid (H2CO3). Rainwater can also be Acidic (acid rain). High pH Alkaline water, pH above 9.0, is also corrosive to metals such as Brass, Zinc, Aluminum and Copper. Highly Alkaline water can cause drying of the skin when bathing, give water a "soda-like" taste and cause scale to form on metal surfaces.