How City Water Purification Works: Drinking and Wastewater

[@philstuf]

I work for a water/wastewater processing company. 100% can confirm this is accurate. Excellent video.

[@TheAnnoyingBoss]

Why did they do this overly conflated system? Why not just boil a big vat of water and turn it into steam, pump the steam to another tank where it will condense and then you just scrape the gunk out of the bottom and the heat kills all the possible viruses ECT. Can a virus even survive on a super hot steam particle?

[@philstuf]

@@TheAnnoyingBoss While I agree that distilling the water also works, and is nearly bulletproof from a safety standpoint, the energy requirements to boil and cool that volume of water would be massive; we generally flow 5 million gallons or so per day, and we only serve about 70K consumer points (IE: households, not individuals).

[@MrFrhnba]

We need answers. Please someone confirm this because I’ve been using water bottles and some taste weird. Tap water taste good but can’t take chances due to my immune system

[@philstuf]

@@MrFrhnba I would suggest taking a sample from your tap and having it tested (And not by the door to door sales folks that want to test your water to sell you a filter system). In some environments, it is possible to have roots break into pipes and possibly contaminate water, while still allowing the pipe not to leak due to the way hydrodynamics can work. You could also call your water provider and ask for input on getting a sample tested as well. They would likely want to get something like that fixed ASAP if that were the case. That being said, it could also be the plumbing of the house that is affected, not necessarily the line from the water provider...

[@roybruno7535]

Can i ask why the treated wastewater and untreated water cant share the same water system? or he says in the video they almost never share the same water system. and also assuming that the water purification plant is in a lake where fish may be how does this affect them? i am doing an assignment on clean drinking water and your feedback would be extremely helpful

[@zakkhuitema3748]

ive worked in waste water treatment for about 17 years, and have never seen a step by step of how the magic happens so clean and well thought out. this needs to be in every sydney water office as a base to their inductions. amazing stuff. you have gained +1 sub

[@thedarklord573]

I’m a water engineer for a city that provides water for 7-10M people (through city services and customer cities which are cities that buy water from other cities instead of treating it themselves) and I can tell you this is pretty accurate. I do have a few comments: 1. The lake is typically not on site and is usually pulled through a network of pipes. 2. In the coagulation, typically an iron coagulant is used. 2. The injection of ozone is one of the most expensive processes in water treatment because ozone is typically produced on site for larger cities, which requires TONS of electricity. This is just a fun fact. 3. I didn’t see him touch on chlorination prior to injection into the public use system. Bacteria can develop in older pipes so some chlorination is added to prevent harmful bacteria from traveling through the pipe network.

[@glenngardin3561]

Thanks for the additional info!

[@GuyGoatee]

I'm a water plant operator and we almost strictly use chlorination. Some of our smaller unmanned plants use Sodium Hypochlorite, but most (including the one I am currently manning) use chlorine gas. UV is still kind of being phased in simply because we don't really have any way of knowing whether it truly works in disinfecting as we don't use any means of testing it. We rely on chlorination.

[@thesaturdaydude]

@@GuyGoatee one question how much electricity is used to purify one gallon of water

[@manthanpanchal3279]

The amount of detail in this video, be it the animation or the voice over is just phenomenal. The video reflects the amount of hardwork the creator has put in. I wish you reach millions of followers soon and the world appreciates your content.

[@brodriguez11000]

Even better it covers some details most other videos do not without making things too complicated to understand.

[@nuckels188]

Yeah this guy should have millions of subscribers

[@Mattthewanderer]

Wow, this was remarkably accurate without drowning the viewer in unneeded details. These processes are crucial all over the world and we can never let up on doing them right.

[@grondhero]

👍

[@wilhelmvon]

Thanks!

[@mainpage725]

As a wastewater operator this is a great video for those inquisitive individuals who always wondered what happens to water before and after their sink/shower/toilet. Great Job y'all!!! Thank you for this video! I'm referencing this video as a teaching aid!

[@shivaargula4735]

Would love to see something like this for trash processing. I know there is a lot of variation depending on where you go but knowing what's "normal" would be nice.

[@humorss]

that will likely be at movie length since they are separated at the bin already. multiple complexly different processes

[@eriklarson9137]

@@humorss Username does not check out.

[@Arhitecto]

I was working on site for a new sewege water tretmant. It's an amazing process and this video is really accurate!

[@jaymacpherson8167]

Excellent work. This is one example of an array of options to treat water. In the US, if the source water is surface water or E. Coli-contaminated groundwater, a “residual disinfectant “ is required which is not shown (such as addition of chlorine or chloramine).

[@BuddysDIY]

bro you're a beast. these videos are insane. i could only imagine the amount of planning, research, and animation editing it takes to make one of these! you should make another car one! maybe the hvac system in a car, suspension system, transmission systems, drivetrain/differential system, braking system, power steering system! p.s i am uploading my next big video tomorrow and i voiced over some of your graphic work threw your website in the description as well. keep it up mate!

[@animagraffs]

:D Always glad to see you in the comments, Buddy, and I'll check out your new vid to see how you were inspired to use my work! I like the sense of community, really makes it more worth it to be creating this stuff.

[@BuddysDIY]

@@animagraffs should be out 2 pm tomorrow!! And yeah man you're comment section has alot of good feedback. That's how you know your channel will grow brother 💪

[@trumanhw]

Why is there a DIVER in the waste water ..? Can they even see anything?

[@Grandizer8989]

@@trumanhwmaybe for scale

[@shatnermohanty6678]

@@animagraffs Sir , please make a video on Generating Electricity from Waste 🙏

[@MaulaBolla]

Bruh, I studied Civil Engineering in college and I remember taking Water Resources lecture/lab. At that time, I had a fairly decent knowledge of how this works and can somewhat explain the overall process, but you just helped me understand it even more. You literally gave me the bigger picture while handling the smaller details in a non-overwhelming fashion. Holy shit. Awesome fucking job.

[@williamwilliams3447]

abbreviated version - "If you live in New Orleans, St Louis or Baltimore and DC, the glass of water you are drinking has already been in and passed through seven people." Great video! I spent years upgrading, pouring concrete and expanding the Charlotte Mecklenburg NC water purification and wastewater cleaning plants. I gladly drink tap water daily from our kitchen sink and enjoy it without fear and without plastic bottle waste. The LORD is great and I am 62 and have no liver or kidney or digestive trouble. My mom is 92, has done the same and has no problems with our CM water system. Her problem is soda pop and fritos.

[@jonathansiders9779]

😅

[@aimankamil4818]

What's your opinion on the supposed abundance amount of chlorine and and fluoride in the water. While it's still relatively small, overtime usage of it can't be good right?

[@meanuncledavid]

I’m curious how they remove chemicals and heavy metals from the wastewater when they turn it into drinking water.

[@aimankamil4818]

@@meanuncledavid how do they remove the hormones bruh, and American sure love their drugs.

[@miguelamaton3684]

Can't say no to a fritos bag man

[@MH-Tesla]

I went on a school field trip to the local water treatment plant. That was 1981. 5 the grade. To this day I remember it as the best field trip I ever went on. I was just amazed at how it all worked and learned so much. Every other field trip was a vacation from learning.

[@morefiction3264]

I had a similar experience in high school.

[@FreQuenczy]

Love these videos. Always to the point easy to understand. So many videos have obnoxious narrators always begging for more subs and "Remember to click that bell!" I don't need anyone "reminding" me to subscribe. If a video's quality can speak for itself, then you've earned my sub, and the first animagraff I watched months ago earned you my sub. Keep up the fantastic work!

[@tm502010]

First one of these I saw, I hit that button so fast I scared it! These videos are Amazing! ❤

[@Stormbladegamer]

you forgot about the denitrification which comes after this step 10:05 (nitrifiacation= O²+ NH³ or NH4+ -> NO³-) . the denitrification is where nitrate(NO³-) will be broken apart to nitrogen gas(N²) and other endproducts.... it needs to be anaerobic(no Oxygen is present) otherwise the desolved oxygen(O²) will be used instead, of the microorganisms. this step is quite important because otherwise the NO³- gets into rivers and lakes, which acts as a furtaliser und encreases the algae growth.

[@Skullkid16945]

I originally found this channel by looking up how antique mechanical pocket watches work. So far, I have watched every one of your videos and subscribed with notifications. I love this kind of content that shows how things work. I am a visual and hands-on type of learner, and just reading about something and looking at pictures does not click for me. I have to be able to see it in action to properly get a grasp of it, and your videos help me do just that. Thanks for this amazing content and I hope you can continue to do this. I do not know the reason as to why you make these videos, but for whatever it may be, don't make yourself hate doing it by doing it too much to where it is like a job. Go at your own pace and do what you like. :D

[@jonathansiders9779]

Yes, this is my first Animagraff experience. Who is this person who takes the time and care to research and create these? What a resource! Is it altruism or the curiosity about these subjects that propels this work?

[@ma-lu3088]

There is so much to be thankful for. This water system filtration is just one of the many things we should be thankful for. Imagine living in a time where this is not a convenience. How horrible that would be. Thank you Engineers and people behind this magic.

[@fahoudey]

I'm glad I found a gem channel like yours, hope you grow to the millions subscribers mark soon !

[@animagraffs]

woot woot! LET'S GOOOO

[@FirstnameLastname-fn6ik]

I love how high quality your videos are, it is clear you put a lot of time and effort into each one.

[@Mrzoux1]

I'd ask you to post more, cause these videos are addicting af, but just imagining the amount of work it takes to just make one I get why you can't. Amazing work, really captivating!

[@XSR_RUGGER]

I was thinking the same thing 😂. I want more but the amount and quality of information and animation makes me feel bad about asking or making suggestions. I hope he's making enough money or will in the future from these.

[@MyHandleIsGood]

I once went on a tour in a water recycling plant. We got to see the input and output. The difference was so amazing, especially since it started off quite brown and ended up completely clear.

[@jhogan1960]

Very accurate description, down to the correct terminology. I'm a water treatment plant operator. We still use chlorination for disinfection, though UV is used in a lot of wastewater treatment plants, Ozone is used in a lot of water treatment plants for pretreatment to rid raw water of organic material. Great animation.

[@dannydaw59]

Are there places where our poo poo has to be shoveled from one collection spot to a truck? I'd hate to have that job.

[@JSNtunes]

@@dannydaw59 mate, I did that job for 7 years. The floculated sludge from the clarrifiers has to go somewhere; usually drying beds or a screw press or belt press. In the case of drying beds, you wait until the access moisture drains and re-enters the start of the process, then its shovel time. It sounds worse than it is. By the shovelling stage, its more like ashy dirt. We call it 'cake'. its light and has lost its smell thanks to the nitro bacta disolving the ammonia into nitrogen in the aeration tanks. Old mate mentioned that it is used for fertilizer but thats illegal in australia. We send it to landfill - which sounds bad - but its highly nitrified organic matter so the earth loves it. I work with drinking (potable) water now but waste water is way more fun and technical.

[@eefm99]

I actually always wondered how water treatment plants worked, but never searched for it. This now solves it, and in a visually beautiful and well explained video.

[@JaredOwen]

Great video!

[@newaccount8935]

the goat.

[@VliDono]

I smell a collab brewing! :D

[@cobytang]

The legend himself approves!!!!!!

[@hanjek]

I hear a battlefield horn :D

[@jasonsecretkhorsecret8515]

Amazing..

[@royx23]

Really great video! Another important thing to mention is that many times the water going back into the river after treatment is actually cleaner than the river water itself.

[@danieltadd]

Engaging, informative, easy-on-the-eye, good to listen to! I really enjoyed this. I didn't know I needed to know how it all works, but I'm glad the youtube algorithm told me I did.

[@josephmorrone2660]

One of the best channels on You Tube , WELL DONE !

[@Electrobuzz17]

Wow man , such detailed work. Couldn't stop myself from subscribing. Amazed at the technology behind the water we drink and water treatment. Glad to live in a generation of technology

[@humanbeing5529]

Wow man. Really awesome stuff. Hoping this blows up sooner. This is very informative and easy to follow

[@jmill5995]

I used to love going with my dad to the treatment plants. My dad had a supervisory role so he would just monitor everything and make adjustments if someone missed them, audits, etc. He let me do a lot of fun shit behind those gates. I learned how to operate a backhoe around 9 or 10 years old. That shit wouldn’t fly at all in modern times.

[@Octoberfurst]

I always wondered how water got purified and what they did with waste water. Now I know! This truly was amazing! I look forward to more things like this!

[@energymarketchile]

I grew up drinking water directly from the stream fed by mountain melting snow and pooping into a pit in the ground. It is impressive how "development" complicated so much these simple basic functions... Excellent instructional video!

[@BryanO92]

I can't believe how much I've learned from your very few videos. The graphics are beautiful and the topics are explained so even a dummy like me can follow along, You need to make more of these!

[@dickJohnsonpeter]

But you swam through it. I think that makes you very smart. I would die if I had tried to swim through it like you.

[@jonathansiders9779]

😂, you’re too humble, my friend !

[@FALprofessional]

It's interesting to see the different modes of treatment implemented in slightly different ways than I learned (i.e. in my Environmental ENG class most active carbons, rocks, and microsands were at the inlet or just after the inlet in drinking water treatment, and the bacteria were introduced in the sedimentation tanks instead of separate aeration tanks for waste water treatment). Many ways to skin a cat and all that.

[@bdwalker43]

Probably the best info video I’ve seen regarding anything ever. I work at a power plant with a full water treatment system and this is accurate.

[@savannah002]

I was wondering how the water treatment works. Thank you for making this video! I will share this to the teachers. The kids need to watch this. Keep making good videos.

[@quick_xplorer312]

You should know that your work is a piece of art, congratulations!

[@achmadalhabsyi3575]

This video is another level not just detail but also head to tail.

[@josenilsongobira4044]

Excellent job. A true professional in graphic design with an impressive teaching style to teach various subjects.

[@Attexi]

Wow impressive animations and great explanations! I really hope that millions of people get to know you! :)

[@csbanki]

Last year we organized a visit to a water purification plant. I wasn't able to attend in the end, so I'm thankful for this video explaining everything in details with amazing graphics. Thank you so much, incredible work as always!

[@N0Xa880iUL]

Really cool topic. Great graphics.

[@thomasfreeman7770]

Great video. As a retired water purification plant operator of 40 years. Your description shows the actiflo process of coagulation.. My plant used it and conventional basin type of coagulation then ozonation and filtration. Since a disinfectant residual must be in the water as it leaves the plant, we used chlorimination to do so just before the clear well. Also fluoride was added just before the clear well and any other ph and alkalinity adjusting chemicals.

[@brandonspence2189]

As a union pipefitter that works at these plants, nice job!

[@OlyTV]

4:39 The part I have always wondered about is the filtration- specifically this: When contaminants stick to the activated carbon and microsand, where does it go? Does the activated carbon need to be washed or replaced from time to time?

[@animagraffs]

Yes, there's a wash procedure associated with the filter media to remove built up contaminants. But the granules themselves, if properly taken care of, can last a long time.

[@Romualdomgn84]

Gorgeous video and clear explanation. People should know how hard is to get potable water and that it is important to save water, rather than use it limitless and consider pure water as for granted.

[@jonathansiders9779]

Wonderful work. I knew literally nothing about waste water treatment before watching this. I have more recently become very interested in learning how in the world the treatment/purification processes work to handle the range of human waste, including blood and phlegm, etc) Yuck! Thank you for your graphics and narration . This is a fantastic study guide.

[@EmptyGuiwix]

Hey dude. I really appreciate the godly animations and the astronomical explaining. I can tell it takes a lot of hard work and you probably are squeezing in the time to do these videos and I really appreciate it. I have a special request. Next can you do how a fridge works? Thanks for explaining very well and doing the research for us. I find it so amazing how you take so much research, and put it into amazing animations that people take ~15 minutes to watch. You are da beast. Keep the hard work up and I am so happy your in this world.

[@Magicide]

Great video. I work in one of the biggest wastewater treatment plants in the world and naturally there's a ton more going on than described but for the general public this would be a great video to describe what's going on.

[@naimreed8247]

How accurate is this video? What dies he miss? How big are these facilities? How cost effective is it? How many personnel are required to run it? Are there test done before water is released to the public/back into nature?

[@I_am_a_cat_]

This channel is amazing. Love the most recent video on 18th century ships. Keep up the good work, thank you for teaching me so much! My mind has been blown many times, seeing just how much goes into some things.

[@noahlemasters]

You're a damn genius with animation and video creation. Hope you have an amazing career. Saw the first video and instantly said, "this guy has a lot of talent".

[@stevekeller8876]

This is my favorite channel in all of youtube. Keep up the amazing work!

[@MultiOllieollieollie]

A prime example of an excellent conveyor of information, I love the visuals and the pacing of the video. Now subscribed!

[@SonGChaNSaO]

I have no possible relatable way for me to interact with such topic, yet, I watched the whole thing and now I'm wondering about what the other models are like. Goes to show how good of a video it is, the graphics, pace and explanation was awesome!

[@karateJeff88]

Water treatment plant operator here maybe I can answer some questions?

[@Theoryofcatsndogs]

I once go to waste water treatment plant in school trip. I still remember the smell after 20 years. Huge respect for people who work there every day.

[@MisterElement]

Great: editing, animation, research, voiceover, information and overall vibe! Concise and yet well detailed.

[@Allebas13]

I found your channel today and immediately subscribe. Content like this is what KZbin not some useless media social junks.

[@briandye6938]

A lot of people don’t realize how good we have it. Infrastructure is amazing

[@Surrenitie]

Truest statement of the century. This video actually made me feel a lot better about how we handle our water

[@guNNer4evah]

Thank You Sir. With your videos we better understand how things works. Even more we can appreciate now the people who created/ manufactured such things.

[@mitsunori222000]

Amazingly well produced: great animations and commentary pitch perfect. Thank you.

[@elianmusic7452]

Hi. I've been feeling quite bad about myself over the past year, having just gotten out of a terrible 3 year work cycle / rut that had me basically enslaved to my freelance job. I finished my work and am taking time off to recover. One thing i was always interested in is learning how the world works in the most basic sense. Infastructure, city systems, urban design, econ, shipping, how stuff gets around and moves and how modern society functions mechanically. This video was absolutely excellent. I saved it. If you do one on electricity and electrical grid, or airports, or anything in that vein, know you'll have at least one viewer :)

[@PeteCorp]

Nice. I always wondered.

[@The10816]

ONE OF THE BEST VIDEOS ON W-W/W I HAVE SEEN....I CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH

[@goalieman206]

It’s interesting seeing the difference between this and my plant. We use lime softening so our process is quite different. Chlorinate the raw water, add lime and ferric/ammonia if needed into a basin. Then the water goes through an ozone chamber and c02 is added. Then to a filter and off to the vessels it goes where it’s filtered for TOC and color. At the very end we add extra chlorine/ammonia/ fluoride where it sits in our tanks before going out into the PWS. Cool video and well done.

[@thecombativeone9675]

I absolutely love your videos please never stop making them

[@nelsonolivera8059]

I was mesmerized by the presentation that I almost "forgot" to pay attention to the content! Wow job, thank You!

[@jakobbrussow3253]

I usually dont leave many comments but holy shit your channel is amazing! The animations are fantastic and the script is easy to follow and well narrated. Keep it up!

[@FraTac-gv9ky]

Grazie.

[@hugodesrosiers-plaisance3156]

Have you considered having collabotative videos with some other channels? Like, "How does a sky-scraper work" with Fred from The B1M, some civil infrastructure with Grady from Pratical Engineering, how various firearms work, with Ian McCollum at Forgotten Weapons, etc. The guest could maybe interact in some way with your animations as they explain how it works? I hope your channel keeps growing! Cheers!

[@user-fx5sw4jy7hYz9Hzi]

Well in theory this should get rid of all of the pollutants in the water but it does not when you actually check the faucet water. Likely due to just huge amount of volume of water which can't be filtered adequately by the city system, or it accurate toxins in the pipes.

[@Ventura727]

Our water has a chlorine residual for that reason. It disinfects and helps reduce any bacteria or pathogens from growing in the distribution system.

[@Gome.o]

Heyyy we get a VO! Nice... you're a delight to listen to

[@EUATeamah]

a very well animated video

[@bwhog]

Here in the Phoenix area, we have an extensive canal system (thought not as extensive as it used to be) which, in some locations, also serves as a way to discharge waste water from these plants since any added ammonia or anything is actually useful for the farmers who use that water. It can also be sent down drainage canals, which ultimate discharge into natural washes or water ways, or it can be discharged into a catch basin and allows to soak into the ground to join the water in the aquifer. Some locations also use a separate piping system to use this reclaimed water for irrigation of city landscaping.

[@pizzamagee6220]

As a wastewater operator I'm glad you went very general and didn't get into the multiple differences in process it can easily confuse people.

[@NB-rv2yz]

This is a wonderful video for training about the water treatment process.

[@gideonmundjele9246]

This awesome!keep the rolling

[@KB-gd6fc]

I feel like your videos is why the internet was made.

[@420sakura1]

Internet was made to sell weed and porn. And nothing else

[@aaron159r2]

All this with no advertising? What a great deal for curious minds. Great content, Jake!

[@thisismedgr]

This topic has never been more interesting to learn about for me. Thanks!

[@Noob___Noob]

Bruh... the time and work behind these graphic intensive videos must be ginormous.

[@peacefulearth4us]

Awesome job!!!!!!!! Thank you so much for putting your work, time, talent... into this.

[@327Erich]

Nice video with excellent visual representations. As a Water Treatment Operator, the only thing I'd note is that most plants I know of (even the ones who utilize UV technology) chlorinate their tap water either with chlorine gas or a hypochlorite liquid (bleach, essentially) to maintain a small amount of chlorine throughout the distribution system, which is known as a *residual.* We can control the pathogens at the plant with UV, etc., but municipal water systems, service lines, and plumbing are prone to leakage (and infiltration) at certain points, especially in poorly maintained systems. These incursions aren't a problem as long as the chlorine residual is present.

[@Psittac20]

Most of the time I don't click on unknown creators, but this time I'm glad I did. Excellent format for learning. Subscribed

[@commenter557]

Salute to your work This take a lot of efforts in all the aspects to give such a precious knowledge in one combined video 🙏🙏

[@tigercat0924]

I work at a large municipal wastewater treatment facility and this is awesome!

[@awsalfaris9620]

Great video. You summarized everything in just few minutes, which was very nice to watch and simple to understand. Thank you

[@matraz10]

What people don't realize is waste water is ONLY water that goes down a toilet or drain inside of a home. Storm drains in the curbs of streets bypasses any kind of treatment plant and goes directly into lakes or rivers. Which means people who let engine oil/ antifreeze/ soap/ salt/ dead animals/ cigarette butts, etc. go down the drain on the side of the street. That all goes directly into the nearest open body of water.

[@SRVandDtrouble]

I just discovered your videos today and have to say these are on par with any learning videos I've seen. My only critique would be to work on the intro and outro especially. A conclusion statement to me would cap off all the great narration for the project. At any rate thank you to you and your team for all the hard work and look forward to seeing what's next.

[@garrymcgaw4745]

WOW!, i had no idea how involved this process was, these vids are a real eye opener. Thank you. I'll just scroll up and smash the 'Subscribe' button. Cheers from Aussie.

[@celkat]

Dude you deserve SO MANY MORE views

[@kevy-kev3339]

Thank you for the trip down memory lane. This video meant a lot to me. You just got a new subscriber.

[@rr7firefly]

How wonderful to have arrows to guide us. The arrow is an indispensable graphic device, here put to excellent use. These animations are fantastic.

[@rlmiller007]

I used to work in a gold processing mill. We used a clarifier as well. "Preg" (water pregnant with gold particles) would flow over the top and would be combined with zinc, in a vacuum, to recover the gold.

[@shintyty]

I live on a small island in Canada where it rains a lot and we have a well. I once went to a friends house off island and was shocked to find out that they paid for water just like with electricity and such. I feel so bad for taking my usual long comfortable shower there.

[@ElectronikReviews]

Great stuff. Also - chlorine is often used as the disinfectant, rather than Ozone or UV light.

[@Ventura727]

I work at a plant in California we use all 3

[@BOMBON187]

Wow thats amazing the process to treat dirty water. I sometimes think that in my city they just boil the water and pump it back out for public usage.

[@sarcasticguyz6251]

IDK why i watched this but graphics are amazing and great explanation! So thanks

[@rodoto2557]

Great subject, great animation and great explainations. Please, keep doing more.

[@mannylela00]

Almost 2 videos in 1 month. My man is grinding!

[@animagraffs]

hype! I actually finished up my private work projects to focus more on KZbin. 1 video per month would be awesome and I'm hoping to keep it up!

[@jochemcorstens1101]

He's back!!! Love the vids keep up the great work!