| |
|
Did
you know?
Characteristics
of various water sources
Impurities
Guidelines
for solving water problems
Terminology
Water
Analysis Terminology |
|
FREE WATER ANALYSIS |
|
The total area of the earth is composed of 2/3 water, making
it one of the most plentiful and most important resources
available. Without potable water, humankind cannot survive.
Pure water consists of two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen,
chemically combined to form pure water. The only pure source
of water is the earth's atmosphere (sometimes called the hydrological
cycle). Impure water from the earth's oceans, lakes, rivers
and surface evaporates into the atmosphere then condenses
to form rain droplets which are totally pure. The above process
operates basically the same as a man-made still, which evaporates
all the impurities from the water, then returns the condensates
into pure water. If this process did not exist, there would
likely not be enough potable water to support the earth's
population.
The pure water vapor - which forms in the earth's atmosphere
as clouds - begins to
fall to the earth in the form of rain, snow, etc., impurities
are immediately absorbed. A little of everything found in
the atmosphere (dust, micro-organisms, gases, etc.) is absorbed into the droplets
on the way to the surface.
Rain or snowfall then finds its way to various sources of
water supplies on the earth's lakes, rivers, oceans or it
may seep into the ground and become part of an underground
stream or lake. |
|
RAIN WATER
After the water picks up impurities
in the atmosphere and percolates through the ground, it comes
into contact with carbon dioxide and then forms carbonic acid.
This dissolves some of the mineral content of the soil or
rock it contacts, thus adding these minerals to the water.
SURFACE WATER
Water from streams may be turbid due to the presence of silt,
clay, etc. However, in larger surface water, a greater amount
of self-purification takes place through aerobic digestion,
plant life, fish, etc. and the quality of the water could
change a great degree.
GROUND WATER
Normally picks up the minerals it flows through. As a general
rule, water from deep wells contains a higher mineral content
and is less likely to contain organics or turbidity. Water
from shallow wells is usually lower in mineral content and
may be subjected to pollution or other bacteria which is available
from various sources nearby (e.g. spring run-off through forests
and hills, plants, industrial wastes, etc. which will all
pass various bacteria into the water). |
|
Impurities in water are divided
into two classifications:
1. DISSOLVED SOLIDS
Solids which naturally dissolve into water. NOTE: Gases may
also dissolve into water unless they combine chemically with
other impurities. They will be released into the atmosphere
upon boiling and are not truly classified as dissolved solids.
Upon evaporation, only the dissolved solids would remain in
the actual mineral form and then can be analyzed by actual
weight of the various elements.
2. SUSPENDED SOLIDS
Consist of clay, mud, silt, etc. and will not dissolve into
water naturally but remain as such in their present state.
Water treatment and pollution control is one of the largest
and most important industries in the modern day world. As
can be seen from the preceding information, water treatment
is a very broad and varied field and chemical analysis of
certain water supplies is virtually impossible to completely
break down. In time, humankind may discover additional information
regarding the field of water treatment and the entire cycle
of the earth's largest and most important single resource.
The following sections will attempt to clarify some of the
more common problems and solutions presently available.
|
|
| PROBLEM |
SYMPTOM |
CAUSE |
CORRECTIVE
EQUIPMENT |
| Hard Water |
Spotting on
dishes and glassware; scale on inside of water heater,
pipes and water-using appliances; soap curd and bathtub
ring; clothes look gray and dingy. |
Calcium and
magnesium in water, measuring 3.5 gpg or more. |
Water
Softener
(Max. Hardness 100 gpg)
(Max. Clear Water Iron 1.5 gpg)
|
| Clear
Water Iron (Ferrous) |
Yellow,
brown or rusty stains on plumbing fixtures, water-using
appliances and fabrics; metallic taste in foods and beverages;
water is clear when drawn from the faucet but oxidizes
when exposed to air, then changes color ranging from yellow
to brown. |
Iron
in the water measuring 0.3 ppm or more. |
0.3
- 1.5 PPM Water Softener
1.5 - 7.5 PPM Iron Guard Water Softener
1.5 - 30 PPM Chemical Free Iron Filter (Note 1)
|
Red
Water
Iron (Ferric)
|
Same symptoms
as Clear Water Iron but iron has already oxidized and
has a yellow to rust color when drawn from the faucet. |
Iron in the
water measuring 0.3 PPM or more. |
0.3
- 30 PPM Chemical Free Iron Filter (Note 1)
0.3 - 10 PPM Iron & Sulphur Filter
|
| Bacterial
Iron |
Same
symptoms as Clear & Red Water Iron but can have clumps
or balls that may foul plumbing lines and other water-using
appliances; particularly noticeable as a yellow to reddish
slime in toilet flush tanks. |
Iron
bacteria are a group of bacteria which thrive in iron-bearing
water, utilizing iron as an energy source. This bacteria
is not a health hazard. |
Chemical
Free Iron filter (Note1) |
| Manganese |
Blackish stain
on fixtures and laundry; manganese content above 0.05
PPM causes stains. |
Interaction
of carbon dioxide or organic matter with manganese-bearing
soils. Usually found in combination with iron. |
.05-1.0 PPM
Chemical Free M Iron Filter (Note1)
1.0 - 2.0 PPM Neutralizing Filter followed by Iron &
Sulphur Filter (Note 2)
|
| Acid
Water |
Blue/green
or rusty stains and corrosion of plumbing fixtures and
other water-using appliances; pitting of porcelain and
enamel fixtures and dishes. Pin holes in copper plumbing
lines. |
Generally
associated with water with a pH value of less than the
neutral 7.0. |
pH
6.0 - 6.9 Neutralizing Filter
pH 4.0 - 6.9 Chemical Feed Pump feeding soda ash
Consult our Customer Service Dept.
|
| Aggressive
/ Corrosive Water |
Same
symptoms as Acid Water but pH is 7.0 or higher. |
Alkalinity
and carbon dioxide or high dissolved oxygen in water.
Electrolysis - two dissimilar metals in plumbing lines. |
Consult
our Customer Service Dept. |
| Hydrogen
Sulfide |
Rotten
egg taste and/or odor. Turns copper plumbing lines black.
Very corrosive. |
Hydrogen
sulfide is a dissolved gas found in some water supplies |
0.1
- 3.0 PPM Chemical Free Iron Filter or Iron & Sulphur
Filter
3.0 - 15 PPM Chemical Feed Pump feeding chlorine followed
by a Multimedia Filter. (Note 3) |
| Marshy, metallic
or chlorine taste and/or odors |
Objectionable
tastes and/or odors other than hydrogen sulfide. |
Dissolved
minerals or gases; organic contamination or chlorination. |
Activated
Carbon Filter for whole house water supply or Taste &
Odor Cartridge Filter for individual faucets. |
| Turbidity
(Sand/Sediment) |
Foreign particles,
dirty or cloudy water |
Tiny suspended
particles that are the result of water main scale or silt.
Private wells often contain sand or clay. |
Multimedia
Filter for whole house water supply or a Sediment Cartridge
Filter for individual faucets. |
| Tannins |
Yellow or
brown tint or cast in water supply; tannins measuring
0.5 PPM or higher may cause staining and/or interference
with various water treatment processes. |
Result of
decaying vegetative matter |
Organic Color
Removal Filter
Consult our Customer Service Dept.
|
|
NOTE 1 - Water must have a minimum
pressure of 20 psi, pumping rate of 5 gpm and a pH of 6.5 or
higher for proper operation. Most water supplies contain calcium
and magnesium which are not removed by an iron filter. We recommend
following an iron filter with a water softener.
NOTE 2 - Oxidation of manganese is more pH dependent than
iron. Therefore a pH of 8.2 or higher must be maintained. If
the manganese level is >2.0 PPM or bacterial iron is present,
consult or Customer Service Department.
NOTE 3 - This system also requires a retention tank to allow
adequate contact time (minimum 20 minutes). An optional activated
carbon filter for the whole house water supply or a taste &
odor cartridge filter for individual faucets may be installed
to remove any objectionable taste or odor. |
|
GRAINS PER GALLON - GPG
1/7000 of a pound - normally used in relation to hardness.
PARTS PER MILLION - PPM
One part dissolved material in one million parts of water. Used
as a measurement for iron, manganese, TDS, hydrogen sulfide,
chlorides, sulfates and tannins.
MILLIGRAMS PER LITER - MG/L
For our purpose, same as PPM Normally used for a more accurate
measurement or where small quantities of certain elements cause
big problems in relation to iron, manganese, sulphur, nitrates
and silica.
CONVERTING GPG TO PPM OR MG/L
1 gpg = 17.1 PPM (mg/l)
TOTAL DISSOLVED SOLIDS - TDS
The weight of solids, per unit volume of water, which are
in true solution. Can be determined by the evaporation of
a measured volume of filtered water and determination of the
residue weight. A common alternative method to determine TDS
is to measure the conductivity of water.
HARDNESS
A characteristic of natural water due to the presence of dissolved
calcium and magnesium. Water hardness is responsible for most
scale formation in pipes and water heaters and forms insoluble
"curd" when it reacts with soaps. Harness is usually
expressed in grains per gallon (gpg), parts per million (PPM)
or milligrams per liter (mg/l), all as calcium carbonate equivalent.
FERRIC IRON
Iron that is oxidized in water and is visible. Also called
red water iron.
FERROUS IRON
Iron that is dissolved in water. Also called clear water iron.
pH
pH is a measure of the intensity of the acidity or alkalinity
of water on a scale from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral. When
acidity is increased, the hydrogen ion concentration increases,
resulting in a lower pH value. Similarly, when alkalinity
is increased, the hydrogen ion concentration decreases, resulting
in higher pH. The pH value is an exponential function so that
pH 10 is 10 times more alkaline than pH 9 and 100 times more
alkaline than pH 8. Similarly, a pH 4 is 100 times more acid
than pH 6 and 1000 times more acid than pH 7. |
|
For correct sizing and application
of water conditioning equipment, a water analysis is required.
A basic water analysis includes tests for the following:
- Hardness
- Iron
- Manganese
- pH
- TDS (Total Dissolved Solids)
|
Water samples should be taken as near
the source as possible and represent the average water condition.
Clean containers must be used. When performing the analysis,
the test equipment must be clean and rinsed with the test
water and the test water should be between 68ºF and 77ºF
(20ºC and 25ºC). Use rubber stops as supplied. Do
not use your fingers as contaminants and acids could affect
test results.
Additional tests can be performed for tannins and hydrogen
sulfide (H2S). The test for H2S must be performed on-site
for accurate results. Special tests can be performed for chlorides,
sulfates and alkalinity by specified laboratories. If it is
suspected the water supply is contaminated with coliform bacteria
or nitrates, a sample must be collected in an approved sterilized
container and submitted to a government approved laboratory.
Iron bacteria will not be detected with the standard iron
test and can be tested for by a government approved laboratory.
If the TDS is over 1000 PPM and hardness is less than 30%
of the TDS, a complete water analysis should be performed
to discover what other contaminants exist in the water.
If a contaminant exceeds the limits detectable by any test
method, the raw water sample can be diluted with distilled
water until a reading can be taken. A calculation must then
be performed to determine the actual degree of contamination.
All test chemicals are susceptible to age and extreme temperatures.
Proper storage techniques and expiry dates should be observed.
The Water Analysis Report must be completed accurately to
determine the correct equipment to recommend for the water
problem(s) being experienced.
|
|
HARD WATER
Water with a total hardness of 1.0 gpg or more as calcium
carbonate equivalent.
Less than 1.0 gpg....................Soft
1.0 - 3.5 gpg........................... Slightly hard
3.5 - 7.0 gpg........................... Moderately hard
7.0 - 10.5 gpg......................... Hard
More than 10.5 gpg.................Very hard
HARDNESS
A characteristic of natural water due to the presence of dissolved
calcium and magnesium. Water hardness is responsible for most
scale formation in pipes and water heaters and forms insoluble
"curd" when it reacts with soaps. Hardness is usually
expressed in grains per gallon (gpg), parts per million (PPM)
or milligrams per liter (mg/l) all as calcium carbonate equivalent.
SOFT WATER
Any water which contains less than 1.0 gpg (17.1 mg/l) of
hardness minerals, expressed as calcium carbonate equivalent.
SOFTENED WATER
Any water that is treated to reduce hardness minerals, expressed
as calcium carbonate equivalent. |
|
