Final answer:
We have a filter chamber to remove contaminants like solids, bacteria, and parasites from water, using sand and gravel to physically trap particles. This process ensures water safety for consumption or environmental release.
Step-by-step explanation:
The purpose of having a filter chamber is to ensure that water is cleaned by removing suspended solids, bacteria, parasites, and other contaminants during the filtration process. This filtration is an essential step in water treatment to make water safe for drinking or to return it to the environment with minimal impact.
The sand and gravel in a filter chamber serve as the medium that physically traps and contains particles as the water passes through them. Fine sand typically captures smaller particles, while coarser gravel catches larger particles. This layered system allows for the removal of various sizes of particulates, effectively cleaning the water.
Apart from mechanical filtration, the sand and gravel environment can also support microbial communities that biologically degrade or convert contaminants in the water, improving the water quality even further.