Characteristics of water

CHARACTERISTICS OF WATER

• Physical characteristics
• Chemical Characteristics
• Biological or Microscopial or Bacterial Characteristics
 Physical characteristics

1. Turbidity
2. Colour
3. Taste and Odour
4. Temperature
5. Specific conductivity
TURBIDITY
• Turbidity is caused due to presence of suspended and colloidal matter in the water.

• The character and amount of turbidity depends upon the type of soil over which the water
has moved ground waters are less turbid than the surface water.

• Turbidity is a measure of resistance of water to the passage of light through it.

• Turbidity is expressed as NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Units) or PPM (parts per million)
or Milligrams per litre (mg/l).

• Turbidity is measured by 1) Turbidity rod or Tape 2) Jacksons Turbid meter 3) Bali’s Turbid
meter

• The Sample to be tested is poured into a test tube and placed in the meter and units of
turbidity is read directly on the scale by a needle or by digital display.

• Drinking water should not have turbidity more than 10 N.T.U.

• This test is useful in determining the detention time in settling for raw water and to dosage
of coagulants required to remove turbidity.
• i) Turbidity rod-Procedure

a) The graduated aluminum rod is lowered in water and the image of

the platinum needle ceases to be seen (Keeping the eye at the eye
mark) under standard light conditions.
b) Note the depth at which the platinum needle ceases to be seen
(keeping the eye at the eye mark) under standard light conditions.
c) Note the corresponding reading on graduated rod at this stage which
directly gives the turbidity in ppm.
Turbidity rod
ii) Jackson Turbidometer - Procedure:

• Turbidity can be measured in the laboratory using Jackson Turbidometer.

• It consists of a metal container in the form of a cylindrical tube is in turn, supported on

metallic stand, having a standard candle fixed and also a graduated glass tube.

a) Arrange the assembly of the apparatus.

b) Light the candle below the metallic stand.

c) Pour the small quantity of sample of water in the graduated glass tube.

d) Observe the image of flame from the top.

e) If the image of the flame is distinctly seen when observed from the top, go on adding

more water in the graduated glass tube.

f) The addition of water is stopped as soon as the image of candle flame ceases to be seen.

g) Observe the reading on the graduated glasses tube to this depth of water.

h) The reading will directly indicate the turbidity of water in ppm.

Jackson Turbidometer
• iii) Baylis Turbidometer –Procedure:

a) Fill the glass tube with the given sample of water of which the turbidity is to

be measured.

b) Fill the glass tube with standard water solution of known turbidity.

c) The electric bulb is lighted and the blue colour in both kept in the instrument

is observed from the top.

d) Standard solution tube is replaced by another standard tube of different

turbidity, if the colours of the both tubes differ.

e) This process of replacement of standard solution tube is continued till a

matching is obtained in the colour of both the tubes.

f) The turbidity of standard solution will then corresponds to the turbidity of the

sample of water.
Baylis Turbidometer
iv) Digital Turbidimeter (Nephelometric Turbidimeter)

a) Switch on Nephelometric turbidimeter and wait for few minutes till

it warms up.

b) Set the instrument at 100 on the scale with a 40 NTU standard

suspension. In this case, every division on the scale will be equal to
0.4 NTU Turbidity.
c) Shake thoroughly the sample and keep it for some time to eliminate
the air bubbles.
d) Take sample in Nephelometer sample tube and put the sample in
sample chamber and find out the value on the scale.
e) Dilute the sample with turbidity free water and again read the
turbidity.
COLOUR AND TEMPERATURE
• Colour in water is usually due to organic matter in colloidal condition but some
times it is also due to mineral and dissolved organic impurities.

• The colour produced by one milligram of platinum in a litre of water has been
fixed as the unit of colour.

• The permissible colour for domestic water is 20ppm on platinum cobalt scale.

• The colour in water is not harmful but objectionable.

• Temperature of water is measured by means of ordinary thermometers.

• The temperature of surface water is generally at atmospheric temperature, while

that of ground water may be more or less than atmospheric temperature.

• The most desirable temperature for public supply between 4.4°C to 10°C.

• The temperature above 35°C are unfit for public supply, because it is not
palatable.
TASTE AND ODOUR

• Taste and odour in water may be due to presence of dead or live microorganisms,

dissolved gases such as hydrogen sulphide, methane, carbon dioxide or oxygen

combined with organic matter, mineral substances such as sodium chloride, iron

compounds and carbonates and sulphates of other substances.

• The tests of these are done by sense of smell and taste because these are present

in such small proportions that it is difficult to detect them by chemical analysis.

• The water having bad smell and odour is objectionable and should not be

supplied to the public.

• The intensities of the odours are measured in terms of threshold number.

• This number is numerically equal to the amount of sample of water in C.C’s

required to be added to one litre of fresh odourless water.

SPECIFIC CONDUCTIVITY OF WATER

• To measure the total amount of dissolved salts present in the water

• Dissolved salt content = Specific conductivity of water in micro ohms
per cm @25°C × 0.65
• This co-efficient value depends upon the type of salt present in water.
 Chemical Characteristics
1. Total and suspended solids

2. pH value
3. Hardness

4. Chloride content

5. Nitrogen content

6. Iron content

7. Manganese content

8. Metal content

9. Dissolved gases
TOTAL SOLIDS AND SUSPENDED SOLIDS
• Total solids includes the solids in suspension colloidal and in dissolved form.

• The quantity of suspended solids is determined by filtering the sample of water

through fine filter, drying and weighing.
• The quantity of dissolved and colloidal solids is determined by evaporating the
filtered water obtained from the suspended solid test and weighing the residue.
• The total solids in a water sample can be directly determined by evaporating the
filtered water obtained from the suspended solid test and weighing the residue.
• The total solids in a water sample can be directly determined by evaporating the
water and weighing the residue of the residue of total solids is fused in a muffle
furnace the organic solids will decompose where as only inorganic solids will
remain.
• By weighing we can determine the inorganic solids and deducting it from the total
solids, we can calculate organic solids.
PH VALUE OF WATER

• PH value denotes the concentration of hydrogen ions in the water and it is a

measure of acidity or alkanity of a substance.

PH = - log 10[H+] or 1 / log 10[H+]

• Depending upon the nature of dissolved salts and minerals, the PH value ranges

from 0 to 14.

• For pure water, PH value is 7 and 0 to 7 acidic and 7 to 14 alkaline range.

• For public water supply PH value may be 6.5 to 8.5.

• The lower value may cause tubercolation and corrosion, where as high value may

produce incrustation, sediment deposits and other bad effects.

• PH value of water is generally determined by PH papers or by using PH meter. PH

can read directly on scale or by digital display using PH meter.

HARDNESS OF WATER

• It is a property of water, which prevents the lathering of the soap.

Hardness is of two types.

1. Temporary hardness: It is caused due to the presence of carbonates

and sulphates of calcium and magnesium. It is removed by boiling.

2. Permanent hardness: It is caused due to the presence of chlorides

and nitrates of calcium and magnesium. It is removed by zeolite method.

Hardness is usually expressed in gm/litre or p.p.m. of calcium carbonate

in water. Hardness of water is determined by EDTA method. For potable
water hardness ranges from 5 to 8 degrees.
 Methods of removal of hardness
• Generally a hardness of 100 to 150 mg/litre is desirable. Excess of
hardness leads to the following effects.
• Boiling
• Freezing
• Lime soda process
• Excess lime treatment
• Caustic soda process
• Zeolete process
• Demineralisation or exchange process
CHLORIDE CONTENT
• The natural waters near the mines and sea dissolve sodium chloride and
also presence of chlorides may be due to mixing of saline water and
sewage in the water.
• Excess of chlorides is dangerous and unfit for use.

• The chlorides can be reduced by diluting the water.

• Chlorides above 250p.p.m. are not permissible in water.
NITROGEN CONTENT
• The presence of nitrogen in the water indicates the presence of organic
matters in the water.
• The nitrogen may be present in the water may be in one or more of the
following forms.
1. Nitrites
2. Nitrates

3. Free ammonia
4. Albuminoid nitrogen.
• Excess presence of nitrogen will cause “MATHEMOGLOBINEMIA”
disease to the children.
METALS AND OTHER CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES

• Water contains various minerals or metal substances such as iron, manganese,

copper, lead, barium, cadmium, selenium, fluoride, arsenic etc.

• The concentration of iron and manganese should not allow more than 0.3 ppm .

• Excess will cause discolorations of clothes during washing and incrustation in water

mains due to deposition of ferric hydroxide and manganese oxide.

• Lead and berium are very toxic, low p.p.m of these are allowed.

• Arsenic, Selenium are poisonous and may cause totally, therefore they must be

removed totally.

• Human beings are effected by presence of high quality of copper in the water.

• Fewer cavities in the teeth will be formed due to excessive presence of fluoride in

water more than 1 p.p.m.

DISSOLVED GASES

• Oxygen and carbondi-oxide are the gases mostly found in the natural water.

• The surface water contain large amount of dissolved oxygen because they absorb

it from the atmosphere.

• Algae and other tiny plant life of water also give oxygen to the water.

• The presence of oxygen in the water in dissolved form keep it fresh and

sparkling.

• But more quantity of oxygen causes corrosion to the pipes material.

• Water absorbs carbon-dioxide from the atmosphere.

• If water comes across calcium and magnesium salts, carbon-dioxide reacts with

the salts and converts them into bicarbonates, causes hardness in the water.

• The presence ofcarbon-dioxide is easily determined by adding lime solution to

BIO-CHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND
• If the water is contaminated with sewage, the demand of oxygen by
organic matter in sewage is known as biochemical oxygen demand.
• The aerobic action continues till the oxygen is present in sewage.
• As the oxygen exhausts the anerobic action begins due to which foul
smell starts coming.
• Therefore indirectly the decomposable matters require oxygen, which is
used by the organisms.
• The aerobic decomposition of organic matters is done in two stages.
• The carbonaceous matters are first oxidized and the oxidation of
nitrogenous matters takes place in the latter stage.
 Bacterial Characteristics

1. Non Pathogenic bacteria

2. Pathogenic bacteria

1. Aerobic Bacteria
2. Anaerobic Bacteria
3. Facultative Bacteria
Plant Count Test
• In this method total number of bacteria presents in a millitre of water is

counted.

• 1 ml of sample water is diluted in 99ml of sterilized water and 1ml of dilute

water is mixed with 10ml of agar of gelatine.

• This mixture is then kept in incubator at 37°C for 24 hours or 20°C for 48

hours.

• After the sample will be taken out from the incubator and colonies of bacteria

are counted by means of microscope.

• Drinking water should not have more than 10 coliforms/100ml.

M.P.N. TEST (Most Probable Number)
• The detection of bacteria by mixing different dilutions of a sample
of water with fructose broth and keeping it in the incubator at 37°C
for 48hours.
• The presence of acid or carbon-dioxide gas in the test tube will
indicate the presence of B-coli.
• After this the standard statistical tables (Maccardy’s) are referred
and the “MOST PROBABLE NUMBER” (MPN) of B-coli per
100ml of water are determined.
• For drinking water, the M.P.N. should not be more than 2.
 BACTERIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
BACTERIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF DRINKING WATER
ORGANISMS GUIDELINE VALUE
All water intended for drinking
E.coli or thermotolerant coliform bacteria - Must not be detectable in any 100-ml sample
b
Treated water entering the distribution system
E.coli or thermotolerant coliform bacteria - Must not be detectable in any 100-ml sample
b
Total coliformn bacteria Must not be detectable in any 100-ml sample

Treated water in the distribution system

E.coli or thermotolerant coliform bacteria - Must not be detectable in any 100-ml sample
b
Total coliformn bacteria Must not be detectable in any 100-ml
sample. In case of large supplies, where
sufficient samples are examined, must not be
present in 95% of samples taken throughout
any 12 month period.\
WATER BORNE DISEASES

• World health organization has observes that 80% of communicable diseases that are transmitted

through water.

• The diseases like cholera, gastroenteritis, typhoid, amoebia, diarrhoea, polio, hepatitis (Jaundice),

Leptospirosis, Dracontiasis are caused by bacteria.

• Excess of fluorides present in water [above 1.5 mg/litre] cause diseases like dental flurosis, sketetal

flurosis.

• This is a permanent irresible disease that weakens the bone structure.

• The patient becomes immobile and bedridden.

• Excess of nitrates in water causes Mathaemoglobinaemia or blue baby symptoms in infants.

• It effects the hemoglobin in the blood and reduces its capacity to transport oxygen to the cells.

• Nitrates in water are caused by industrial effluents, agricultural runoff.

• Toxic ions of chromium, lead, arsenic and pesticides in water cause diseases affecting the kidney, liver

and high blood pressure, paralysis, cancer etc.

• These toxic substances are due to industrial effluents reaching the surface and ground water sources.
 QUALITY OF WATER
Requirements of water for domestic use
•Water should be colourless , sparkling clear and free of suspended solids
•Good taste, free of odour.
•Reasonably soft
•Plentiful and cheap
•Free from disease producing bacteria or organises.
•Free from objectionable dissolved gases(H2S)
•It should have sufficient quantity of dissolved oxygen(D.O)
•Free from harmful salts.
•Free from objectionable minerals(iron, manganese, lead, arsenic)
•Free from radio-active substance(radium, str...um)
•Free from phenolic compounds, chlorides, fluoride and iodine
•Should not lead to scale formation and should be non-corrosive
Common Impurities in Water and their effect
• Suspended impurities - remain in suspension and cause turbidity
• Dissolved impurities - dissolves in water and cause bad taste,
hardness and alkalinity.
• Colloidal impurities - electrically charged particles of very small
size which remain in motion and does not settle.