Hardness of Water And

Treatment
Dr. Ayesha Sumreen
Hardness may be defined as the soap destroying power of water.
The consumer considers water hard if large amount soap is
required to produce lather.

The hardness in water is caused mainly by 4 dissolved compounds:

These are:
1) Calcium Bicarbonate.
2) Magnesium Bicarbonate.
3) Calcium Sulphate
4) Magnesium sulphate

The presence of any of these compound produces hardness.

There are others which are of less importance. Chlorides and nitrates of
calcium and magnesium can also cause hardness but they occur generally in
small amounts.
Iron, manganese, aluminium compounds also cause hardness but as they
generally are present in such small amount it is a customary not to consider
them in connection with hardness. 2 10/10/2021
 CLASSIFICATION:
Hardness is classified as carbonate and non-
carbonate.
Carbonate (Temporary):
The carbonate hardness which was formerly
designated as temporarily hardness is due to the
presence of calcium and magnesium bicarbonate.
Non-carbonate (permanent):
The non-carbonate hardness formerly designated
as permanent hardness is due to calcium and
magnesium sulphates, chlorides and nitrates.
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 DISADVANTAGES OF HARDNESS OF WATER:
 1. There is wastage of soap and detergents.
2.   It is unsuitable for cooking certain vegetables, dal
and meat. They take very long time to cook in hard
water.
3.   With hard water clothes are not cleaned properly
and they do not have a long life.
4.   Temporary hard water on boiling leads to deposit of
a layer of calcium carbonate on inside walls of boilers
and kettles which is known as scaling or furring of
boilers.
5.   It is harmful for industrial purposes and also shortens
the life of pipes and fixtures in the industries.
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6.   It is harmful to the health as in certain cases it may lead to
diarrhea and other digestive disorders.
7.   Since hard water does not lather easily with soap, it wastes a
great deal of soap when it is used in washing. It therefore is not
economical to be used in washing.
8.   It is not advisable to use hard water in washing white fabrics
since it tends to stain white fabrics by making them appear grey.
More often than not when you use hard water to wash your white
clothes, you are going to see the clothes turning grey after you
have washed them. This is what hard water often does to white
fabrics.
9.   Hard water is not good for dyeing materials. This is why the
dyeing industry doesn’t use it to work.
10. Hard water forms annoying lime scales in containers such as
kettles, pots, pipes, etc.

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How to remove Hardness of Water (Temporary)

1.By Boiling:
Soluble bicarbonates are converted into insoluble carbonates
which are removed by filtration.
Reactions: Ca(HCO3)2 → CaCo3↓ + H2O + CO2
Mg(HCO3)2 → MgCO3↓ + H2O + CO2
2.By Clarks Method (addition of lime):
Calcium hydroxide is Clark’s reagent. It removes the hardness
of water by converting bicarbonates into carbonate.
Reaction: Ca(OH)2 + Ca(HCO3)2 → 2CaCO3↓ + 2H2O

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 How to Remove Permanent Hardness of Water?

 Gan’s Permutit Method(zeolite )/Ion exchange:

In this method, sodium aluminum ortho silicate known as permutit or
zeolite is used to remove the permanent hardness of water.
Reaction: Na2 Al2 Si2 O8.KH2O + Ca++→ 2Na+ + Ca Al2 Si2 O8.xH2O
 In the treatment of large water supplies the permutit process is used.
Sodium permutit is a complex compound of sodium, aluminium and
silica (Na2AL2Si2OH2O). it has the property of exchanging the sodium
cation for the calcium and magnesium ions in the water
 When hard water is passed through the permutit the calcium and
magnesium ions are entirely removed by based exchange and sodium
permutit. By this process, water can be softening to zero hardness.
 Permutit process is used for both temporary and permanent hardness.

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 Calgon’s Process ( Chemical Softener):

In this method, sodium-hexa-meta-phosphate (NaPO3)6 known

as Calgon is used. The hardness of water is removed by the
adsorption of Ca++ and Mg++ ions.
Calgon is a trade name of a complex salt, sodium
hexametaphosphate (NaPO3)6. It is used for softening the hard
water. 
Calgon ionizes to give a complex anion. The addition
of Calgon to hard water causes the calcium and magnesium ions
of hard water to displace sodium ions from the anion of Calgon.

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Ion Exchange Resin Method:
In this method, the permanent hardness of water is removed by using
resins. Ca++/Mg++ ions are exchanged with Cl–, SO4-2 ions are exchanged
with anion exchange resin (RNH2OH). Demineralized water is formed in
this process.
 ⇒ 2RCOOH + Ca++ → (RCOO)2Ca + 2H+
 ⇒ RNH2OH + Cl– → RNH2Cl + OH–
 ⇒ H+ + OH– → H2O

Addition of sodium carbonate:

Sodium carbonate (soda ash) removes both temporary and permanent
hardness as shown below:

I. Na2CO3 + Ca (HCO3)2 → 2NaHCO3 + CaCO3

II. CaSO4 + Na2CO3 → CaCO3 + Na2SO4
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 Electrodialysis (ED)
 Electrodialysis is a process by which electrically charged
membranes are used to separate ions from an aqueous solution
by the driving force of an electrical potential difference. 
 ED is a membrane process utilizing charge-selective membranes
and is pressure-based, like RO.
 ED is another membrane process, which uses the high electrical
potential energy to separate cations and anions from the stream.
The electrical potential forces the salt particles to move through a
membrane, leaving behind freshwater as a product.
 ED was originally conceived for seawater desalination, it has
generally been used for brackish water desalination. This is due to
the fact that the desired electrical energy for ED process is
proportional to the salinity of feedwater that is why it is
economical only for brackish water desalination and for sea water
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 Electrodialysis (ED) was the first commercialized membrane-
based desalination technology.
 It currently serves a relatively small percentage of the drinking water
industry having been displaced by the preferential adoption of RO. 
 ED is an innovative liquid hybrid membrane process used in the
elimination of heavy metals from wastewater of diverse industries.
 ED has ion-discriminating exchange membranes (IEMs) that do not
transfer cations and anions at the same time.
 There are two different membranes: cation exchange membranes
and anion exchange membranes.
 Electrical potential or concentration slope is the reason for ion
transportation through these membranes.
 ED depresses the scaling and fouling and has higher recovery rates.
 But on the other side, it has some disadvantages such as a
requirement of more plumbing and electrical controls.

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 Reverse osmosis (RO) systems 
 Reverse Osmosis is a near absolute removal process that takes
out virtually all TDS, that includes; hardness, chloride, sulfate,
silica, and sodium.
 Reverse osmosis (RO) systems purify your water and water
softeners reduce hardness in your water. 
 RO systems use a semi-permeable membrane to filter your
water, reducing nearly all contaminants and minerals, which are
flushed down the drain, leaving you with clear water.

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 Why Reverse Osmosis and Softening Work Well Together

 A Softener Protects an RO Unit:

 Reverse osmosis membranes are fragile. Although there is
usually a small sediment filter in front of the RO, reverse
osmosis has a hard time removing or reducing calcium and
magnesium–the minerals that make water hard.

 So by installing a water softener WITH an RO drinking water

system, the water softener or conditioner will reduce the water
hardness, thus acting as a protective barrier for the RO
system keeping it from fouling and extending the life of the
membranes.

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A softener and an R.O. system are a great
combination because the softener will give you soft
water throughout the entire home by removing
minerals that make your water hard,
and
RO system will give your household outstanding
drinking water by removing most impurities
(including hydrocarbons, sulfates, cadmium, heavy
metals, pesticides and more).

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Benefits You’ll Enjoy With a Reverse Osmosis System
 By using a reverse osmosis system in addition to your water
softener, you’re giving your family the purest drinking water
possible.
 Reverse osmosis removes a number of impurities that are
commonly found in ordinary tap water and making your
drinking water taste better.

 With a reverse osmosis system you can be confident you’re

giving your family clean, purified water that is so vital to their
health and development. 

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THANKS

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