WATER QUALITY

CRITERIA & PARAMETERS

Muhammad Farhan Arooj

Water Quality Criteria & Standards:

Water can be brought into different uses

 Water supply: municipal and industrial
 Recreational: swimming, boating etc
 Fisheries: commercial & sports
Each use of water requires a specific quality if that use is to be
continued.

Water Quality: define those chemical, physical and biological

characteristics by which we can evaluate the acceptability of water
for a particular use.

Common Impurities of Water & their Effects:

Impurities

1. Suspended 2. Dissolved
1. Suspended Impurities:

Bacteria some cause disease

Algae, Protozoa colour, odours, taste, turbidity disease

Silts turbidity

2. Dissolved Impurities:
(a) Salts:
Fe, Ca, Mg cause hardness
SO4 laxative effects
Fe, Mn colour, hardness, taste
Fluoride dental Fluorosis if > 0.5 mg / l
(Fluorosis = mottling of teeth)
Lead Neurological disorders, stomach upsets

(Neurological = pertaining to nervous system including brain &

spinal chord)
Iodide cause Goiter (if < 1 mg /l)
Nitrates “Blue Babies” (disease in kids less than 2 months)

(b) Gases:
Oxygen corrosiveness to metals
CO2 provide acidity
H 2S odour

Potable Water: Water which is safe to drink, pleasant to taste and usable
for domestic purposes is called potable water.
Whereas, contaminated / polluted water is one which contain
pathogenic micro-organism, chemicals, sewage, industrial or other
wastes.

Water Borne Diseases: Communicable diseases which may be

transmitted by water are called water borne diseases. These may be
bacterial, viral or protozoal infections.
•Bacterial Disease: typhoid, paratyphoid, cholera, bacillary dysentery
There are 50 water borne diseases.
•Viral Diseases: infectious hepatitis (jaundice), polio, gastroenteritis
(Gastroenteritis = inflammation of inner lining of stomach / intestine)
•Protozoal Disease: Amoebic dysentery
Water bacteria may be
• Pathogenic (disease causing)
• Non- Pathogenic
Ground water is generally free of bacteria
Surface water contain bacteria

W.H.O Guidelines for Drinking Water:

Primary aim of these guidelines for drinking water quality is the
protection of public health and diminution or reduction to a minimum of
constituents of water that are known to be hazardous to health.
Another aim of these guidelines was to provide a baseline for the
developing countries to develop their own National Standards.
Till-to-date Pakistan has not developed its national drinking water
quality standards and is following the W.H.O guidelines.
W.H.O guidelines can be categorized under 3 major headings:

1. Microbiological Quality:
It is the most sensitive parameter for drinking water.
Bacterial quality is indicated by INDICATORS i.e. COIFORM
and E-Coli. Both these bacteria live in human intestine and are
excreted with human faeces in large numbers.
E-Coli 5 million to 500 million/gm of faeces
Coliform 25,000 to 500,000/ml of sewage
NOTE: Coliform and E-Coli itself are not disease causing.

Table: W.H.O Guidelines for Microbiological Quality

Organism Unit Guideline Remarks
value
E-Coli No / 100 0
ml
Coliform No / 100 0 In 95% of samples examined
ml in 1 year
Coliform No / 100 3 In an occasional sample but
ml not in two consecutive
samples
2. Organic & In-organic Constituents of Health Significance:

Unit Guideline Effects

Constituents value
Arsenic mg / L 0.05 Skin & other cancers
Chromium mg / L 0.05 Skin allergy, cancer,
damage kidneys
Cyanide mg / L 0.1 Effect thyroid & nervous
system
Fluoride mg / L 1.5 Dental problems
Lead mg / L 0.05 Toxic to nervous system,
stomach upset
Mercury mg / L 0.001 Effect brain
Nickle mg / L 0.02 Carcinogenic
Benzene mg / L 10 Leukemia, blood cancer
3. Aesthetic Quality:

Constituent Unit Guideline value

Turbidity NTU 5
Taste & odour In-offensive to most
consumers
TDS mg / L 1000
Sodium mg / L 200
Hardness mg / L as CaCO3 500
pH 6.5 – 8.5
Colour TCU 15
Iron mg / L 0.3
Sulphate mg / L 400
WATER QUALITY PARAMETERS

 Quality :degree of excellence, a measure of fitness of use

Physical Chemical Bacteriological Radiological

parameters parameters parameters parameters

Taste & odour Alkalinity Bacteria α-Activity

Turbidity pH Virus β-Activity

Conductivity Hardness Protozoa

Metals and
Total dissolved solids Helminth
nonmetals

Color
PHYSICAL PARAMETERS

Taste & odour Colour

 Organics, Biological  Organic matter

activity, industrial (humic), metals (iron,
pollution manganese) or highly
coloured industrial
 Inorganic compounds waste
of metals like sodium,
copper, iron and zinc
TURBIDITY

 Optical property

 Caused by suspended matter (clay, organics,

microorganism)

 High level turbidity shield and protect bacteria

from the action of disinfecting agents

 Nephelometer turbidity unit

 Desirable limit – 5 NTU

should be below 1 NTU when disinfection is

practiced
TOTAL DISSOLVED SOLIDS
 Inorganic salts and few organics
 Time of year, local geological conditions, climate,
waste discharges
 Aesthetic standards

TDS(mg/l)
Brackish water 1000-5000
Saline water 5000-30000
Seawater 30000-35000
Rivers & lakes <200
Irrigation water 1500
EPA DW supply 500
Conductivity
 Measure of electrolyte content / TDS
 Units: μsiemens/cm or μmho/cm

 TDS(mg/l)=k x EC (μmho/cm) (k=0.5-0.9;0.64)

CHEMICAL PARAMETERS
pH

 It is the measure of hydrogen ion concentration

 Desirable limit 6.5-8.5

 Factors: bed-rock, acid rain, wastewater

discharge
DEFINITIONS OF PH

 pH stands for power of

Hydrogen
 pH is a value that
represents the how
acidic a solution is.
 pH is the negative log
of the hydronium
concentration. (pH = -
log [H3O+])
 pH calculations are
used to determine the
exponent of the
hydronium (H3O+)
concentration.
 CONCENTRATION & PH

 The pH and the exponent are the same

 As pH increases by 1.0, the hydronium concentration
decreases by 10
PH ILLUSTRATION
NOTE: [ ] means mol/L

Beaker # 1 Beaker # 2 Beaker # 3

pH = 1.0 pH = 2.0 pH = 3.0
[1 x 10-1] [1 x 10-2] [1 x 10-3]
1/10 1/100
CALCULATING PH
 Determine the pH of a sample of rainwater that has a
hydronium-ion concentration, [H3O+(aq)], of 1.00 x 10-4 mol/L.

pH=-log10[H3O+(aq)] = -log10[1.00x 10-4]

= 4.000

 Calculate the hydronium-ion concentration, [H3O+(aq)]

in a shampoo with a pH of 5.72.

[H3O+(aq)] = 10-pH= 10 -5.72

= 1.905…x 10-6 mol/L = 1.9 x 10-6 mol/L
 Determine the missing values

sample [H3O]+ pH

Rainwater 1.00x 10-4

Shampoo 5.72
HCl 0.5
Acetic acid 1.31x 10-3

Soil solution 4.7

 Determine the missing values

sample [H3O]+ pH

Rainwater 1.00x 10-4 4

Shampoo 1.9 x 10-6 5.72
HCl 0.5 0.3
Acetic acid 0.0013 2.89
Soil solution 2 x 10-5 4.7
CHEMICAL PARAMETERS :HARDNESS
 Salts of polyvalent cations (Ca,Mg,Fe,Mn,Al,Cu,Ba,Zn,Pb)
 Scale formation, prevents lather

 Temporary hardness. Ca/Mg(HCO3)2

H2O(l) + CO2(g) + CaCO3(s) →Ca(HCO3)2(aq)

H2O(l) + CO2(g) + MgCO3(s) → Mg(HCO3)2(aq)

 Permanent hardness-Cl-1,NO3-1, SO4-2

aq. + CaSO4(s) →Ca2+(aq) + SO42-(aq)

aq. + MgSO4(s) →Mg2+(aq) + SO42-(aq)
Problem 1
A sample of water on analysis gave the following
results:CaCO3= 2.5 g/l,MgSO4= 1 g/l,CaSO4= 0.5
g/l,MgCl2= 0.25 g/l,Fe2O3= 0.01 g/l, SiO2= 0.25
g/l

Calculate the total hardness in g/l

PROBLEM 1
A sample of water on analysis gave the following
results:CaCO3= 2.5 g/l,MgSO4= 1 g/l,CaSO4= 0.5
g/l,MgCl2= 0.25 g/l,Fe2O3= 0.01 g/l, SiO2= 0.25
g/l
Calculate the total hardness in g/l
Hardness Amount MF Eq of CaCO3
(g/l)
CaCO3 2.5 100/100 2.5
MgSO4 1 100/120 0.83
CaSO4 0.5 100/136 0.37
MgCl2 0.25 100/95 0.26

Total hardness=3.96g/l
PROBLEM 2
 Calculate the temporary hardness and total
hardness of water in mg/l

Hardness Amount MF Eq of CaCO3

(mg/l)
Ca(HCO3)2 16.2
Mg(HCO3)2 7.3
CaSO4 13.6
MgCl2 9.5

H=1,C=12,O=16, N=14, Mg = 24, K = 39, Cl=35.3, Ca= 40,S=32

PROBLEM 2
 Calculate the temporary hardness and total
hardness of water in mg/l

Hardness Amount MF Eq of CaCO3

(mg/l)
Ca(HCO3)2 16.2 100/162 10
Mg(HCO3)2 7.3 100/146 5
CaSO4 13.6 100/136 10
MgCl2 9.5 100/95 10

H=1,C=12,O=16, N=14, Mg = 24, K = 39, Cl=35.3, Ca= 40,S=32

PROBLEM 3

 Calculate the temporary hardness permanent

hardness and total hardness of water in mg/l

Hardness Amount Molecular MF Eq of CaCO3

(mg/l) mass
(g/mol)
Ca(HCO3)2 26.4
Mg(HCO3) 13.8
2
CaSO4 15.5
MgSO4 6.5
MgCl2 20
CaCl2 15
PROBLEM 3
 Calculate the temporary hardness permanent
hardness and total hardness of water in mg/l
Temporary hardness=25.75 mg/l ; Permanent hardness=51.36 mg/l

Hardness Amount Molecular MF Eq of CaCO3

(mg/l) mass
(g/mol)

Ca(HCO3)2 26.4 162 100/162 16.3

Mg(HCO3) 13.8 146 100/146 9.45
2
CaSO4 15.5 136 100/136 11.4
MgSO4 6.5 120 100/120 5.42
MgCl2 20 95 100/95 21.05
CaCl2 15 111 100/111 13.51
ALKALINITY

 Capacity to neutralize acid

 Presence of carbonates, bi-carbonates and hydroxide

compounds of Ca, Mg, Na and K

 Alkalinity = hardness, Ca and Mg salts

 Freshwater = 30-130 mg/l as CaCO3

METALS & NON-METALS
Iron

 Earth’s most plentiful resource(35% mass)

 High iron causes brown or yellow staining of

laundry, household fixtures

 Metallic taste, offensive odour

 Cause iron bacteria

 Acceptable limit – 0.3 mg / l

 METALS & NON-METALS

As Heavy metals

 Ground water from  Present as mineral in soil and

arseniferous belt
rocks of earth
 Industrial waste, agricultural
insecticide  Human activities
Battery – Lead & Nickel
 Effects : dermatological
lesions, muscular weakness, Textile - Copper
paralysis of lower limbs, can
also cause skin and lung Photography – Silver
cancer

 Acceptable limit – 0.05 mg / l

METALS & NON-METALS
Chlorides Nitrates

 Dissolution of salt deposit  Agricultural fertilizers,

 Discharge of effluents manure, animal dung,
nitrogenous material,
 Intrusion of sea water
sewage pollution
 Not harmful to human
 blue baby disease to
beings
infants
 Regarding irrigation –
 Maximum permissible
most troublesome anion
limit 50 mg / l
 Acceptable limit - 250 mg/l
FLOURIDE
 Occurs naturally

 Long term consumption above permissible level can cause –

dental flurosis (mottling of teeth)

-Skeletal flurosis

 Maximum permissible limit – 1.5 mg / l

 Remedy – 1) Deflouridation
2) Mixing Fluoride free water
3) Intake of vitamin C,D, calcium
MICROORGANISMS
 Virus:obligate parasites, 0.01 and 0.03 μm

 Bacteria: single cell (spherical,rod shaped or

spiral) 0.1 to 15 μm-pipe corrosion, taste & odour)

 Protozoa: unicellular, nonphotsynthetic, aerobic

;2-200μm

 Helminths :parasitic worms

Source: water ,vegetables

Control: filtration,coagulation