Technical Bulletin #75

Guidelines for Water Quality1

Boiler Feedwater Boiler Water

Drum Pressure Iron Copper Total Hardness Silica Total Alkalinity ** Specific Conductance
(psig) (ppm Fe) (ppm Cu) (ppm CaCO3) (ppm SiO2) (ppm CaCO3) (µmhos/cm)
0–300 0.100 0.050 0.30 150 700* 7,000
301–450 0.050 0.025 0.30 90 600* 6,000
451–600 0.030 0.020 0.20 40 500* 5,000
601–750 0.025 0.020 0.20 30 400* 4,000
751–900 0.020 0.015 0.10 20 300* 3,000
901–1,000 0.020 0.015 0.05 8 200* 2,000
1,001–1,500 0.010 0.010 0.0 2 0*** 150
1,501–2,000 0.010 0.010 0.0 1 0*** 100

* Alkalinity not to exceed 10% of specific conductance.

** Minimum level of ‘OH’ alkalinity in boilers below 1,000 psi must be individually specified with regard to silica solubility and other components
of internal treatment.

*** Zero in these cases refers to free sodium or potassium hydroxide alkalinity. Some small variable amount of total alkalinity will be present and
measurable with the assumed congruent control or volatile treatment employed at these high pressure ranges.
1
From Simon, D.E. II, “Feedwater Quality in Modern Industrial Boilers—A Consensus of Proper Operating Practices”, proceedings of the 36th
International Water Conference, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 65–69 (1975).