WATER

Properties:
Molecular Formula: H2O, Molecular Weight: 18, colourless, odourless and tasteless liquid with
B.P = 100 0C, MP & FP = 0.0 0C.
It is known as a universal solvent as it is used to dissolve many things in our day to day life.

Sources of Water:
Surface Water : Rain Water, Rivers, Lakes, Reservoirs and Sea
Under ground Water : Wells and springs
 Rain water is the purest form of the water.
 Colour of the water is due to impurities and dissolved and undissolved matter.
 Odour of the water is due to living or dead plant or animal matter and also due to
dissolved chemicals (pollutants).
 Taste of the water is due to dissolved salts and minerals.

Soft Water: Water that produces readily lather with soap is called as soft water.
Soap is a sodium or potassium salt of an organic acid containing C15 – C17.
C15H31COONa (sodium oleate) or C16H33COONa (sodium palmitate) or C17H35COONa (sodium
stearate).
C17H35COONa + H2O C17H35COOH + NaOH
Sodium
Sodiumstearate (soap)
stearate(soap) Stearic Acid (lather factor)

Hard Water: Water that does not produce lather readily with soap is called hard water.
Hardness of water is due to presence of dissolved magnesium and calcium bicarbonates,
chlorides and sulphates.
Hard water do not produce lather because, the soap(sodium or potassium stearate) reacts with
dissolved magnesium or calcium salts of the hard water producing the respective stearates which
are sticky and called the scum.
2C17HC
35COONa
17H35COONa + CaCl
+ H22O (C17H35COO)2 Ca + 2NaCl
Sodium Sodium
stearate (soap) Hardness causing substance
stearate(soap) Calcium stearate (scum)

2C17HC
35COONa
17H35COONa + Mg(HCO
+ H2O 3)2 (C17H35COO)2 Mg + 2NaHCO3
Sodium Sodium
stearate (soap) Hardness causing substance
stearate(soap) Magnesium stearate (scum)

Till all hardness causing calcium or magnesium salts are converted to scum, the soap goes
wasted and after that only the water starts giving lather hence, lot of water will be wasted when
soap is used with hard water.

Types of Hardness of Water: Based on the type of dissolved salts of calcium and magnesium,
hardness of water can be divided into TWO types as follows;

I. Temporary Hardness: Hardness due to dissolved Mg(HCO 3)2 or Ca(HCO3)2 is known as

temporary hardness of water.
 Temporary hardness can be removed simply by boiling the water.
 Temporary hardness is also known as alkaline or carbonate hardness.
 Other dissolved substances that cause temporary hardness are carbonates of iron.
Ca(HCO3)2 CaCO3 ↓+ H2O + CO2
Calcium bicarbonate(in Hard water) Calcium carbonate (scale / crust)

Mg(HCO3)2 Mg(OH)2↓+ 2CO2

Magnesium bicarbonate(in Hard water) Magnesium hydroxide (scale / crust)
1
Temporary hardness can be calculated from;
Temporary Hardness = Total Hardness – Permanent Hardness

II. Permanent Hardness: Hardness of water due to dissolved CaCl 2, CaSO4, MgCl2, MgSO4
and chlorides and sulphates of Calcium, magnesium and iron is called permanent
hardness.
 Permanent hardness cannot be removed by boiling the hard water
 Permanent hardness is also known as non-carbonate or non-alkaline hardness
 Permanent hardness can be removed on treatment of hard water by suitable
chemical method
Permanent hardness can be calculated from;
Permanent Hardness = Total Hardness – Temporary Hardness

Expression of Hardness of water in terms of CaCO 3: Hardness due to any hardness causing
substance is expressed in terms of equivalent amount of CaCO3 (Calcium Carbonate) since it is a
simple molecule with MW is 100, Eq. wt. is 50 and most insoluble precipitate formed during
water treatment.

Wt . of hardness causing substance∈mg X 50

Equivalents of hardness causing substance=
Chemical equivalent of hardness causing substance

Ex: If the hardness of water is due to 95g/L of MgCl2 then, the equivalents of MgCl2 expressed
in terms of CaCO3 is as follows:
MW of MgCl2 = 95 (Mg=24, Cl=35.5)
Equivalent Wt. of MgCl2 = 95/2 = 47.5
Wt of MgCl2 = 95g/L(given)
Eq. Wt. of CaCO3= 50
Wt . of MgCl2 ∈mg X 50
 Equivalents of MgCl 2¿
Chemical equivalence of MgCl 2

95 X 50
¿
47 .5
= 100mg/L of CaCO3

Units of Hardness of water: Following units are used to express the hardness of the water.
i. Parts per million (ppm): Number of parts (mg) of CaCO 3 present in one litre or 106
parts(mg) of water.
Ex: if water containing 1mg or 1 part of CaCO 3 in 1L of water is said to be having
1ppm hardness in it.

ii. Milligrams per Litre (mg/L): Number of milligrams of CaCO3 present in 1L (also
1000gm or 1000X 1000 mg or 106 mg) of water.
iii. Degree French ( oFr): Number of parts of CaCO3 present in 105 parts of water.
1 oFr = 1part of CaCO3 in 105 parts of water
iv. Degree Clarke ( oCl): Number of parts of CaCO3 present in 10 lb or 70,000 parts of
water.
1 oCl = 1part of CaCO3 in 70,000 parts of water.

v. Milli Equivalents per Litre (meq/L): Number of milliequivalents of CaCO3 present

in 1L of water.
2
 1 meq/L = 1meq of CaCO3 per 1L of water
Or = 50 mg/L of CaCO3 = 50ppm

Inter Relationship of various Units:

1ppm = 1mg/L = 0.1 oFr = 0.07 oCl = 0.02 meq/L

Removal of Hardness of Water (Softening of Water):

1. Removal of Temporary Hardness of Water: Temporary hardness is due to presence of

dissolved Ca(HCO3)2 or Mg(HCO3)2 or both. Temporary hardness can be removed by Two
following methods.
a) By Boiling of Water: On boiling hard water, the temporary hardness causing
substances will be converted to insoluble CaCO3, Mg(OH)2.

BOILING
Ca(HCO3)2 CaCO3 ↓+ H2O + CO2
Calcium bicarbonate(in Hard water) Calcium carbonate (scale / crust)

BOILING
Mg(HCO3)2 Mg(OH)2↓+ 2CO2
Magnesium bicarbonate(in Hard water) Magnesium hydroxide (scale / crust)

The cement like crust can be removed by filtration to get the soft water.

b) By Addition of Lime (Lime – Soda Process): Calculated amounts of lime -

(Ca(OH)2) is added to precipitate the temporary hardness causing substances as
calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide due to following reactions;
Ca(OH)2 2CaCO3 ↓+ 2H2O Calc

OH)2 2CaCO3 ↓ + Mg(OH)2 ↓ + 2H2O

Soft water can be obtained by filtration of the above precipitates.

 To remove temporary hardness, only lime is used while for removing temporary &
permanent hardness, both lime and soda are used.
2. Removal of Permanent Hardness of Water: Water gets permanent hardness due to
presence of dissolved CaCl2, CaSO4, MgCl2 and MgSO4 in it. Permanent hardness cannot
be removed just by boiling but requires one or more following chemical treatment
methods.
i) Lime – Soda Process: In this process calculated amounts of lime - (Ca(OH)2)
and soda – (Na2CO3) is added to precipitate the hardness (both temporary and
permanent) causing substances as calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide
due to following reactions;
+ Na2CO3 CaCO3 ↓+ 2Na+ (lime & soda can be used)
sulphate) Soda

2Ca(OH)2 Mg(OH)2 ↓ + Ca2+ (lime is used)

or sulphate) Lime

3
Ca(OH)2 CaCO3 ↓+ H2O (lime is used)
Lime
 The amount of Lime and Soda required for the process to remove above substances can be
calculated from the following equation;

74 2+ ¿+ Perm .¿¿

Temp .Ca 2 +¿+ 2 X Temp. Mg ¿

¿ required for softening ¿
100

106
Sodarequired for softening= Perm .¿
100

All substances in terms of CaCO3 equivalents

Lime soda Process is of two types. A) Cold Lime – Soda Process & B) Hot Lime – Soda
Process

A) Cold Lime – Soda Process: In this process water containing hardness and calculated
amounts of Lime, Soda and coagulant like alum (also aluminium sulphate, sodium
aluminate) are mixed and introduced into the vertical inner chamber that is fitted with
rotating mechanical paddle shaft. When the water is thoroughly mixed, the heavy sludge
(the precipitate formed with coagulant) will settle down in the outer chamber while the
soft water rises up slowly and passes through the filter fibre and comes out as a clear soft
water. The sludge settled at the bottom of the outer chamber will be drained out from
time to time.

mixed with water at room temperature and the precipitates formed are finely divided to
avoid the easy settle down and filtration of the particles. A small amount of coagulant/
flocculent like alum (also aluminium sulphate, sodium aluminate) is added to precipitate
these fine particles which can be filtered off easily.
The soft water obtained in this Cold Lime – Soda (L – S) process may contain a hardness of 50 –
60 ppm which is in the permissible range.
NaAlO2 + 2H2O Al(OH)3 ↓+ NaOH
Sod. aluminate

Al2(SO4)3 + 3Ca(HCO3)2 2Al(OH)3 ↓ + 3CaSO4 + 6CO2↑

l. sulphate (Coagulant) Hardness of water

Hard water