What is the primary purpose of filtration in water treatment?

The primary purpose of filtration in water treatment is to remove suspended solids. This process is essential because suspended solids can include a variety of contaminants, such as dirt, debris, and microorganisms that can affect water quality and safety. Filtration helps to clarify the water, making it cleaner and safer for consumption by effectively capturing these particles.

Filtration also plays a crucial role in the overall water treatment process, as removing these solids can improve the efficiency of subsequent treatment steps, such as disinfection. By ensuring that water is free from larger particulate matter, filtration enhances the effectiveness of chemicals or processes that may follow, such as chlorination or UV treatment, which target remaining pathogens.

The other options, while they might be factors in water treatment considerations, do not represent the primary goal of the filtration process. Enhancing flavor and removing dissolved gases are aspects that might be addressed through other treatment processes, and reducing water temperature is typically related to cooling processes rather than to filtration itself.