Name________________________________Class_____Date_____________

Virtual Lab: When Is Water Safe To Drink?

Suppose you were hiking along a stream or lake and became very thirsty. Do you think it
would be safe to drink the water? In many cases, it wouldn't. Each source of fresh water
on or beneath Earth's surface is affected by contaminants. Though the sources of these
contaminants are varied, all can make water unfit to drink if they are allowed to increase
beyond safe limits.

Go to the website:
http://www.glencoe.com/sites/common_assets/science/virtual_labs/CT04/CT04.html
In this Virtual Lab, you will test a variety of water samples. Then you will determine how to
treat the water samples to make them safe to drink
Look at the screen to your left, READ and find out about the most common types of water
contaminants. Describe what they are and how they might affect water quality.
Acidity: water with a ph of lower than 7 is acid water. Sodium hydroxide should be
added to the water to raise the water ph to neutral
.

Bacteria: when the coliform bacteria is present in water, the water must be
chlorinated. Chlorine should be added at the beginning and end of the process

Metals: treating metals in water is a two part process,chlorine must be added at the
beginning of the process the harden the material so It can be filtered out of the
water. Zink orthophosphate should be added to prevent further corrosion of pipes
.

Nitrates: nitrates in water can be removed by adding activated carbon during the
treating process. This water should also be chlorinated at the end of the process

Pesticides: pesticides and herbacides can be removed by adding activated carbon to

the water during the treating process

Objectives:
1. Define types of water contaminants.
2. Determine which types of contaminants are common to lake water, city water, well
water, rural water and mountain water.
3. Identify treatments that remove contaminants from drinking water.
Procedure:
1. Click the right and left arrows to select a body of water to analyze.
2. Click Test to test the water sample.
3. Look at the results of the water analysis. Identify the Safe Range for each category
and record this in the data table.
4. Identify which contaminants exceed the safe range.
5. Click the tabs to find information on how to treat each contaminant.
6. Enter the contaminant and treatment information in your data table.
7. Click Go To Treatment to go to the treatment screen.
8. Use the information in the table and click the wheels on the valves to add chemicals or
additives to the water sample.
9. Click the Treatment Switch to start treating the water. The Safe/Unsafe Sign will
indicate whether the water is safe to drink.
10. If the water is safe to drink, use Return to Lab to go to the lab screen and test
another water sample.
11. If the water is unsafe to drink, check your information and treat the water sample
again.

12. When you have tested and treated all the water samples, use your completed table to
complete the analysis questions.

Analysis
1.

What contaminants were found in the surface water samples? What contaminants
were found in the groundwater samples?

Bacteria was found in the surface water samples. Herbicides/pesticides, and metals were
found in ground water.

2.

Why might groundwater and surface water have different contaminants?

One is more exporsed than the other

3. Generally, farmers do not farm on the sides of mountains or in remote areas.

Industries also do not build factories in these areas. These areas are usually not
highly populated by people. What might explain the high nitrate level in the
mountain water in this activity? There might be a buildup of bacteria

4. What is pH level, what are its characteristics, and how does it contribute to
pollution? What chemicals are used in treating low pH levels?
Ph level is how acidic or basic something is. Some pollution is acidic. Sodium hydroxide
should be added to water to bring it to neutral

Critical Thinking-Please read this carefully!

Water in an old building tested recently, showed high copper and iron content, and
low pH levels. A water reading taken 20 years before, showed low pH levels and

only minimal traces of copper and iron. If none of the new buildings on the same
street showed signs of metallic contaminants, but all reported lower than normal pH
readings, how might these readings be explained?
More copper and iron got into the water overtime.

Sample

Acidity
(pH)

Metals
(mg/L)

Coliform
Bacteria
(ml)
0 per
100ml

Pesticides/Herbicides
(mg/L)

Nitrates

Safe
Range

6.5-8.5

City

Less
than 1.3
mg/L
.0006
mg/L
copper

Lake

Mountain

Type of
Contamination

Treatment
Performed

Less than .04 mg/L

13/100
ml

.00001 mg/L

Less
than 10
mg/L
.8 mg/L

Acidity, and
bacteria

Sodium
hydroxide and
chlorine

.6mg/L
iron

33/100
ml

.0008 mg/L

.6 mg/L

Metals and
bacteria

Chlorine and
zinc
orthophosphate

6.8

.006
mg/L
iron

0/100 ml

.0001 mg/L

12.4
mg/L

Nitrates

Activated
carbon

Rural

.0027
mg/L
copper

0/100 ml

.08 mg/L

6.7 mg/L

Pesticides/
herbicides

Activated
carbon with
chlorine at the
end

Well

8.2

1.44
mg/L
iron

0/100 ml

.0004 mg/L

.6 mg/L

Metals

Chlorine and
zinc
orthophosphate