Which are the two main components of water treatment?

The two main components of water treatment are typically recognized as primary treatment and secondary treatment. Primary treatment refers to the physical processes used to remove large solids and sediment from the water, often through methods such as sedimentation and screening. This step is crucial as it helps to reduce the amount of suspended and floating matter, thus preparing the water for further treatment.

Secondary treatment, on the other hand, involves biological processes that further reduce organic matter and pollutants in the water. This phase often utilizes microorganisms to decompose organic materials, resulting in clearer and cleaner water. Together, these two treatment stages are fundamental for making raw sewage or wastewater safe for discharge into the environment or for further purification and reuse.

Although the other options present important components or methods related to water treatment, they do not encompass the primary structural framework typically used to describe the comprehensive stages of wastewater treatment. For example, filtration and reverse osmosis are specific processes that might be used in secondary treatment but do not define the overarching categories of water treatment in the same way primary and secondary treatments do.