Question of the Day - 30 September 2021

In case you’re unfamiliar with concept of flocculation (as we were), it's defined as “a process by which a chemical coagulant added to water acts to facilitate bonding between particles, creating larger aggregates that are easier to separate. The method is widely used in water-treatment plants” -- to soften lime, remove solids, produce clearer water, etc.

Southern Nevada Water Authority spokesman Corey Enus writes to us, “Yes, flocculation is part of the SNWA’s multistage filtration process. The primary disinfectant at our two water-treatment facilities is ozone, which kills potentially harmful microscopic organisms that may be present. Then the multistage filtration system is used to remove particles from the water.

“Both chlorine and fluoride are added to the water as well. As the water leaves the water-treatment facilities, chlorine is added to protect it on the way to homes and businesses. Chlorine residual is both necessary and required to show a sufficient amount of chlorine was added initially to the water to inactivate the bacteria and some viruses that can cause harm,” Enus continues.

As for fluoride, it “is naturally occurring in Southern Nevada’s drinking-water supply. In 1999, the Nevada Legislature passed Assembly Bill 284, requiring the SNWA to add fluoride to Southern Nevada's municipal water supply beginning in March 2000. A second bill passed by the Nevada Legislature required that the issue of fluoridation be placed on the November 2000 election ballot to determine whether voters wanted municipal fluoridation to continue, at which time Clark County residents voted to maintain fluoridation of their municipal water supply.”

Now, to the matter of artificially cooling water in hotels. Caesars Entertainment spokeswoman Gia Selvaggio told us, “Most hotels, including Caesars, do not normally cool their tap water. However, there are some stand-alone units (water fountain machines) for drinking water in the market.”

Boyd Gaming’s water fountains are presently shut down due to COVID-19 restrictions, but during normal times, would be dispensing cool water. 

Adds Boyd spokesman David Strow, “The water that comes out of the tap in our hotel rooms or restrooms is not cooled down (at least not beyond the temperature it comes to us from the public water source).”

Other resort companies did not respond, but we suspect their answers would be much the same. Cooling water for a multi-thousand-room hotel would require a plant of such dimensions as to be impractical and, no doubt, prohibitively expensive.