CE 331: Environmental Engineering I

Water Quality Parameters, Significance

and Water Quality Standards

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Impurities in Water

Impurities are added to water in different stages of the water cycle which can affect its intended use.

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Impurities in Water
Suspended Impurities

 This impurities are dispersion of solid particles that are large enough to be removed by
filtration on surface and heavier one settles down.
 The size of suspended impurities ranges from 1 μm to 50 μm.
 The suspended particles which have the same specific gravity as that of water, are
mixed in the water. Suspended impurities include

-Clay, silts
-Algae, fungi
-Organic and inorganic matters
-Mineral matters etc.

 These all impurities are macroscopic and cause turbidity in the water
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Impurities in Water
Colloidal Impurities
 It is very finely divided dispersion of particles in water. This particles are so small that these can not
be removed by ordinary filters and are not visible to the naked eye.

 The size of colloidal particles is between 1 nano-meter to 1 micro-meter.

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Impurities in Water

Colloidal Impurities

 All the colloidal impurities are usually electrically charged and remain in continuous motion.
The electric charge is due to the presence of absorbed ions on the surface of the solids.
These electric charge is on the surface of the particles are large enough in comparison with
their mass to cause the particle to repel one another when they move within the sphere of
action of each others charge

 Most of the colour of the water is due to colloidal impurities.

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Impurities in Water
Dissolved Impurities

 Some impurities are dissolved in water when water

flows over the rocks, soils etc. Solids, liquids and
gases are dissolved in natural water.

 This dissolved impurities may contain organic

compounds, inorganic salts and gases. This forms of
compounds may impart bad taste, hardness and
alkalinity.

 The concentration of total dissolved solids is usually

expressed in ‘ppm’ and is obtained by weighing the
residue after evaporation of the water sample from a
filtered sample.

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Sources of Impurities
Water pollution may be defined as the presence in water of impurities in such quantity and
of such nature as to impair the use of water for a stated purpose.

Point sources:
 Wastewater treatment plant effluents
 Combined sewer overflows

Non-Point sources:
 Leaking sewers
 Surface run-off
 Septic tanks

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Water Quality Parameters
Physicial Water Quality Parameters: those characteristics of water that respond to the
senses of sight, touch or smell

-Suspended Solids, Turbidity, Color Taste and odor, Temperature

Chemical Water Quality Parameters: related to solvent capabilities of water

-Total Dissolved Solids, Alkalinity, Hardness Dissolved Metals,

Fluoride, Organics, Nutrients

Biological Water Quality Parameters: Water may serve as a medium for hundreds and
thousands of biological species

- Pathogens

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Common
Constituents

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Potable and Palatable Water

Potable Water

 Physically, chemically and bacteriologically acceptable without causing potential danger to

human health.
 Water which is
-safe to drink → free from disease producing organisms and harmful chemicals.
-pleasant to taste → free from physical and some chemical impurities.
-suitable for domestic uses → like cooking and washing (free from hardness and iron).

Palatable Water

 water which is physically acceptable.

 free from turbidity, color, taste, odor and of moderate temperature

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Physicial Water Quality Parameters

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 Suspended Solids
• May consist inorganic solids (clay, silt or other soil
constituents) or organic particles (plant fibers or
biological solids) or immiscible liquids (i.e. oil and grease)

• Domestic wastewater contains large quantities of organic

SS, industrial wastewater may contain varieties of
impurities of either organic or inorganic nature

• Aesthetically displeasing and provides adsorption sites

for chemical and biological agents. Biologically active SS
may degrade and cause objectionable by-products, may
include disease-causing organisms.

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Suspended Solids
The nature of the SS in water and the secondary effects they produce may be more important
than the actual quantity of SS

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 Turbidity
A measure of the extent to which light is either
absorbed or scattered by suspended material in water

Not a direct quantitative measurement of suspended

solids but often used as a proxy for Suspended Solids in
drinking/ potable water supplies

Sources of turbidity: same as suspended solids (erosion

of colloidal material such as clay, silt, rock fragments,
and metal oxides from soil, vegetable fibres and
microorganisms, household and industrial wastewater
etc.)

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Measurement of Turbidity
 Turbidity can be measured by Jackson Candle Turbidimeter (which measures the
interference of light passage in a straight line by the particles) or Turbidimeter based on
the principal of Nephelometry (measures the intensity of scattered light at 900 to the path
of the incident light).

 Turbidity is expressed as Jackson Turbidity Unit (JTU) or Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU)
and FTU=formazine turbidity unit

 A suspension of formazin (formed by the interaction of 50 mg/l of hydrazine sulfate with

500 mg/l of hexamethylamine tetramine under specified conditions) is used as the
standard reference material, which has a defined turbidity of 40 NTU. This suspension has
a turbidity of 40 JTU, when measured by Jackson Candle Turbidimeter.

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Environmental Significance of Turbidity
Aesthetic quality affected (aesthetically displeasing opaqueness)

In natural waters: may interfere with light penetration and photosynthesis Increases
Filtration cost (SSF operation becomes difficult, RSF operation depends on successful
removal of turbidity)

Affects Disinfection (pathogenic organisms encased in particles can be protected from

disinfection)
Removal of Turbidity is the first line of defence against disinfection resistant organisms
(Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia lamblia)

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Expressions of Concentrations

 Weight Concentration: g/L, mg/L (ppm), μg/L (ppb), ng/L (ppt)

 Molarity (M) : mol/L, mmol/L (x mole of A dissolved in water to
make 1 liter (volume) of solution)
 Molality (m): x mole of A dissolved in 1 liter of water to make 1
kg (mass) of solution
 Normality (N): eq/L, meq/L,

Equivalent weight: EW= MW/Z

Z is: – The absolute value of the ion charge

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Examples

• What is the equivalent weight of calcium?

• What is the equivalent weight of calcium carbonate (CaCO3)?
• What concentration is 40 mg/L Ca2+ when expressed as CaCO3?

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Classwork #1- Calculate molarity and normality

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Classwork #1- Calculate molarity and normality _ Solution

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Colour (Apparent and True colour)
Sources

- Iron and Manganese in Groundwater (metallic substances)

- Plankton and Weeds
- Humus and Peat
- Coloured Wastes

Significance

- Aesthetic quality affected (yellow brownish appearance)

- Organic compounds may exert chlorine demand
- Harmful by-products formed by the combination of chlorine with color
producing organics (THM, objectionable taste and odour from reaction with
phenolic compounds)
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Taste and Odour
Sources
- Inorganics (generally taste unaccompanied by odour): Alkaline materials impart bitter
taste, metallic salts give salty/bitter taste
- Organics (both taste and odour): petroleum-based products, biological decomposition of
organics (H2 S from reduced products of sulfur), oily substances secreted by algae

- Combination of two products (though neither of them produce taste/odour by itself)

Significance
- Aesthetic reasons: the consumer typically associates taste and odour with
contamination
- Some odour-producing substances are carcinogenic

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Temperature
Sources

- Ambient temperature (surrounding atmosphere)

- Use of water for dissipation of waste heat
- Removal of forest canopies and irrigation return flows

Significance

- Increased rate of biological activity (an increase in 10°C

doubles biological activity), accelerated growth (algal bloom)
- Influences DO levels in water and survival of fish species
- Affects reaction rates and solubility of chemicals
- Viscosity of water increases with decreasing temperature
(subtle effect on planktonic organisms in natural water
systems)
- Temperature affects density (density stratification in natural
waters)

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 Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
Significance

• Many dissolved substances are undesirable, may cause aesthetically displeasing color, taste
and odors. (can be both organic and inorganic)

• Some TDS can be toxic and carcinogenic

• TDS > 500 mg/L----- Excessive scaling in water pipes, water heaters and boilers and
household appliances

• Type of softening procedure depends on TDS

• Corrosion control by pH adjustment: pH at stabilization depends on TDS, alkalinity and

Temperature.

Not all dissolved substances are undesirable. (pure, distilled water has a flat taste,
undersaturated water will be “aggressive”)

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Total Dissolved Solids and Electrical conductivity (EC)

• Conductivity is a measure of the ability of water to pass an electrical current

• It can tell you how much dissolved substances, chemicals, and minerals are present in the
water. Higher amounts of these impurities will lead to a higher conductivity
• Non-ionized and organic dissolved molecules do not contribute to EC

Proxy measurement of TDS using Electrical Conductivity

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Ions Contributing to TDS

• For potable water supplies, the ions contributing to TDS is of importance

• Major constituents (1 – 1000 mg/L): Sodium, Calcium, Magnesium, bicarbonate, Sulfate,
Chloride

Also called “common ions”, often sufficient to characterize TDS in natural waters

• Minor constituents (0.01 – 10 mg/L): Iron, Strontium, Potassium, Carbonate, Nitrate, Fluoride,
Boron, Silica

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Alkalinity
-A measure of water’s capacity to absorb Hydrogen ion (neutralize acids)
-Due to salts of weak acids, strong or weak bases (bicarbonates represents major form of
alkalinity through the action of CO2 upon basic materials in soil)

CO2 + CaCO3 + H2O Ca2+ + 2HCO3 -

Three major classes of materials causing alkalinity:

1.HCO3 - 2.CO3 2- 3.OH-

-No public health significance (highly alkaline water may be unpalatable, alkalinity causing
species react with other cations to result in precipitates which foul pipes)

Alkalinity is a process control variable in water or wastewater treatment

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Alkalinity Species are pH dependent

CO2 + H2O ⇄H2CO3

⇄ +
H2CO3 H + HCO3-
⇄

HCO3- ++ CO 2-
H⇄ 3

CO32- +H2O HCO3- + OH-

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Determining Total Alkalinity by Titration curve
If 0.02N H2SO4 is used in the titration, then 1 ml of the acid will neutralize 1 mg of alkalinity of CaCO3

PH

Total Alkalinity
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