COMENIUS

Water is life Life starts in water Our body is composed of water We need water to survive

The water intended for human consumption should not contain pathogenic microrganisms or parasites and must contain: Fluorides, chlorides, sulfates, nitrates, lead, chromium, nickel, arsenic, manganese, aluminum and iron in the maximum concentrations required by law.

Sites of the acqueducts of Puglia and Basilicata

From the dam

Through Apulian Acqueduct Pipes

To our roads and homes

But how does it work? Do you know it? Don’t worry! I will explain you.

Water Purification (Waterplant in Puglia) Water is purified as follows: FLOCCULATION - PURIFICATION (the slowing down of the velocity of water and the adding of aluminium polichloride) FILTRATION (water is passed through a sand bed) DISINFECTION (adding of chlorine dioxine)

Water Purification (Waterplant in Puglia) Biological, chemical, physical tests are carried out to make the water drinkable. Physical parameters: Colour, clearness, temperature, conductibility, smell. Chemical parameters: Chloride, chlorine residues, Aluminium, Ph. Biological parameters: Coli-bacteria and escherichia coli. The above and other measures are also controlled by the Public Health Service. If there are diverse results, an enquiry is opened.

SETTLING TANKS OF THE APULIAN ACQUEDUCT

Filtration PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE3 PHASE 3

Waterplant purifiers

Purification techniques Water is collected in a tank. It then passes into a settling tank. A chemical agent, flocculant, is added, which ionizes the water and eliminates the sand which clusters and settles at the bottom of the tank. Then the water is filtered and purified.

Information on water purifying Periodical checks on the quality of water are carried out by local sanitary services (ASL). Water purifying takes place thanks to water checking and filtering systems, allowing the identification and removal of heavy metals, nitrates, pesticides and chlorinated solvents.

Processes contribuiting to purification Filtration to eliminate foam (from detergents) Chemical processes, treatment with active mud rich in microorganisms both anaerobic and aerobic

On our tables you can see not only plain water but even and mostly mineral water

THE BUSINESS OF MINERAL WATER

Italy holds a baffling record in the field of mineral waters: Italians are the primary consumers of mineral water throughout the world.

According to the law mineral water must come from underground water reserves, natural and protected from contamination and bacteriologically pure. The law allows the addition of carbon dioxide and the removal of iron and sulfur.

The official recognition as mineral water from the Ministry of Health is made after careful analysis (geological, chemical, physical and microbiological), the pharmacological and medicinal healing properties are also examined. Regular checks of water quality and of bottling process are required both by tradesmen and the sanitary service.

The label is a kind of "identity card" of the mineral water, thanks to which you can learn about its main features. For bottled water are of particular interest:  The total salt content, said fixed residue, allows to classify water in:  Minimally mineralized water: the fixed solids at 180º are less than 50 mg/l.  Low-mineralized water: the fixed solids are between 50 mg/l and 500 mg/l.  Water rich in mineral salts: the fixed solids are greater than 1500 mg/l.  The concentration of specific ions, which allows you to define a water quality classification (example: ferruginous water, sulfur water,...)

According to experts the differences in composition between mineral water and plain water in most cases for healthy people is not relevant. Italians are the world market leader with 177 companies and 287 brands, 11 billion liters of bottled 1 billion of which for export (especially in Canada and America).

The mineral water would be neither by definition nor in practice necessarily purer and healthier drinking water policy.