Purification of Floodwater by Electrolysis

An adequate supply of pure water is absolutely essential to human existence. During floods, water is available in adequate quantity, but the quality is often not suitable for drinking or cooking purposes. The goal of the study was to develop an easier, cheaper and faster technique of water purification. Oxygen ions are well known for their high reactivity. An attempt has been made to use oxygen ion to disinfect water. If a container of water is subjected to electrolysis, hydroxyl and hydronium ions are produced which move through the liquid from one electrode to another. It is expected that these ions, particularly the hydroxyl ion, will come across bacteria and react with it chemically to eliminate it. The process is similar to the mechanism of disinfecting water using halogen tablets. Considerable reduction in indicator organisms was obtained through treatment of floodwater with alum followed by electrolysis. The results obtained are not conclusive but are encouraging.