Water Analysis Example NO. 3

All values are reported as CaCO3 equivalent except pH and iron.

What does this analysis mean in terms of minerals? What type of corrective treatment are available?

Study of Water Analysis example No. 3 would indicate that the water is very hard with 24.1 gpg of hardness minerals. The water is also definitely alkaline with a pH of 8.2 due to its high bicarbonate content.

While there is iron in the water, it would not cause staining of white fabrics and porcelain fixtures unless deposits were permitted to build up. Under these circumstances, 0.2 ppm of iron could produce staining in time.

The sodium sulfate content of this water might prove to be laxative to some people. With approximately 75 grains of sodium salts, it might be difficult to obtain "zero" soft water with an ion-exchange softener because of the regenerative effect of the sodium in the raw water.

The suggested treatment for this water would be an ion-exchange softener. Such a unit would provide soft water, though perhaps not "zero" soft water. It would also be able to handle the iron content quite satisfactorily.

Treatment of this water supply with a reverse osmosis system will substantially reduce the total dissolved solids including the alkalinity, sodium, and laxative sulfates to provide excellent high-quality water for drinking and cooking purposes.

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