3.

QUALITY OF WATER

Sreevidya Sreekumar

Kerala PSC Expert

● Pure Water: It is a chemical compound (H2 O).

● Potable Water: Water which is fit for drinking.

● Palatable Water: Water which is aesthetically looking good.

● Wholesome Water: Chemically may not be pure but doesn't contain anything

harmful to human beings.

● Polluted Water: It contains undesirable substances rendering it unfit for

drinking and domestic use.

● Contaminated Water: It contains pathogenic bacteria and unfit for drinking.

● Mineral water: It contains useful minerals viz.Calcium, Magnesium and Iron in

required proportion.
Water quality
● Pure water – chemical compound – H2O ( 2 Hydrogen atom and 1 oxygen

atom)

● Before supplying water to the public, it is very necessary to check ,analyse

and treat the raw water to safe and permissible limits.

● IS code 10500 specifies the safe limits

Impurities in water
They are broadly classified on

● Size

● Nature

● State of matter
Based on size of impurities
1.Suspended • 10-1 mm to 10-3mm
impurities • visible

2.Colloidal • 10-3 mm to 10-6 mm

impurities • Not visible

3. Dissolved • 10-6mm to 10-8 mm

impurities • Not visible
● Based on nature ● Based on state of matter

Organic impurites Physical impurity

Inorganic impurities Chemical impurity

Biological impurity
The raw or treated water is analysed by testing

● physical characteristics

● chemical characteristics

● bacteriological characteristics
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
● Physical water quality defines those characteristics of water which responds
to senses of sight , touch , feel, smell and taste
TURBIDITY

COLOUR

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
TASTE AND ODOUR

TEMPERATURE

SPECIFIC CONDUCTIVITY
1.Turbidity
● Opaqueness in water (not transparent)

● It is the measure of resistance offered by particles present in water to the

passage of light through water

● Caused by

 Suspendend particles

 Colloidal particles
Standard units of turbidity
● The turbidity is measured by a turbidity rod or by a turbidimeter and is
expressed in mg/l or ppm, Turbidity unit

 1JTU (Jackson turbidity unit): The standard unit is that which is produced by
1 milligram of finely divided silica in 1 litre of distilled water ,then turbidity
produced is 1JTU (Jackson turbidity unit)—silicious material could be fuller’s
earth

 1 NTU (Nephelometric turbidity unit): 1 mg of formazin polymer mixed in 1

litre of distilled water,the turbididity produced is 1 Nephelometric turbidity
unit or 1 FTU (formazin turbidity unit )
Measurement of turbidity
1. Turbidity rod (field method)

○ Graduated aluminium rod,with a platinum needle is used.

○ The length of the rod under water is a measure of the turbidity,

○ lesser the length , greater is the turbidity

○ Works on light absorption principle.

2. Turbidimeters(laboratory method)
TURBIDIMETERS
1. Jackson
• Can measure only turbidity > 25mg/l
turbidimeters

• Generally used for measuring turbidities in the range

2.Baylis 0-10 mg/l
turbidimeter
• NB : although it can measure upto 100mg/l

• Digital electronic device

3.Nephelometer • Able to measure low turbidity < 1mg/l ( also high
turbidity on calibrating)
 • 1. Turbidity rod
Light absorption
• 2. Jackson turbidimeter
principle
• 3.Baylis turbidimeter

Light scattering
• Nephelometer
principle
● A turbidity in excess of 5 units is easily detectable in a glass of water.

● Scale used to measure : silica scale

Drinking water standard for turbidity : 5 to 10 mg/l

2.COLOUR
● Water is thought to be colourless , any colour in water is objectionable

● 2 types of colours

Apparent colour True colour

• Due to suspended solids • Due to dissolved solids

● Measurement of colour is done using colour matching technique ,using
tintometer

● Result is expressed in TCU (true colour unit)/hazen unit

● The standard unit of colour is that which is produced by one milligram of

platinum cobalt dissolved in one litre of distilled water

● Or 1TCU is equal to colour produced by one milligram of platinum in the form

of chloroplatinate ion.
Colour can be measured in various standards or scales such as

○ Hazen scale or Platinic chloride scale

○ Burgess scale or cobalt scale

Drinking water standard for colour : 5 to 20 mg/l

3.TASTE AND ODOUR
● Water is supposed to be tasteless and odourless

● Sense of odour and taste are so closely assosiated with each other

● There is no test for taste

● When odour is detected in water then water also tastes bad

● Odour is measured using osmoscope, expresses in Threshold odour number

(TON)
 ● TON is a dilution ratio at which odour is just detectable

TON = (A+B)/A
A = Volume of sample in ml
B = Volume of distilled water used in dilution in ml

● Capacity of osmoscope is 200ml

 A B
1 199
5 195
10 190
15 185
20 180 --DETECTABLE

● TON = (20+180)/20
= 10
● Taste is expressed in flavoured odour number (FTN)=(TON)

Drinking water standard < 3TON

4. TEMPERATURE
● Optimum temperature for distribution : 10 to 20 degree celsius

● Measured by thermometers
5.SPECIFIC CONDUCTIVITY
● Electrical conductivity,called the specific conductivity or the specific
conductance of water , approximately measures the total dissolved solids in
water.

● Higher conductance high concentration of dissolved

constituents

● Measured by conductivity sensor at 250 C

● Unit is mhos per centimetre or Siemen per centimetre

● TDS = Specific conductivity x conductivity factor

● Conductivity factor = 0.54 – 0.96 (0.67 is commonly used)

THANK YOU