Environmental Engineering – 20-CE-92

Experiment No. 04
Determination of Hardness in Water Sample.
Theory

Hardness in Water

Hardness of water refers to the amount of dissolved minerals, primarily calcium and magnesium
ions, present in water. These minerals can come from natural sources like underground aquifers, or
they can be added during water treatment processes. Hard water is formed when water percolates
deposits of limestone and chalk which are largely made up of calcium and magnesium carbonates.

Hard water can cause a few problems, including build-up of mineral deposits in pipes and
appliances, reduced soap and detergent effectiveness, and scaling on surfaces like faucets and
showerheads. To reduce the hardness of water, it may be treated with a water softener or other
methods, such as reverse osmosis or ion exchange.

Types of Hardness

1. Carbonate / Temporary Hardness: Bicarbonates of Magnesium & Calcium

2. Non-Carbonate / Permanent Hardness: Chloride & Sulphate of Magnesium & Calcium

Total Hardnes = Temporary Hardness + Permanent Hardness

Reduction of Hardness

 Temporary Hardness – Addition of Lime & Boiling

 Permanent Hardness – Extra Addition of Lime & Base Exchange Method

Causes

Cations Anions
Ca+2 HCO3-1
Mg+2 SO4-2
Sr+2 Cl-1
Fe+2 NO3-1
Mn+2 S1O3-2

CO2 converts carbonates to bicarbonates & bicarbonates are soluble in water causing hardness.

1|Page
 Environmental Engineering – 20-CE-92

Disadvantages of Hardness of Water

1. Washing Purposes – hard water does not cause lather to form, hence increases the
consumption of soap/detergents.
2. Hard water causes white scaling around utensils, affecting the appearance.
3. Mineral buildup on fixtures and surfaces.
4. Scaling pipes and appliances.
5. Scaling in boiler acts as an insulator, hence more heat energy is required to be transferred to
water to get it to boiled through the layer of formed insulation.
6. Affects the taste of water.

*Note: There is no such effect of hard water on human Health.

Unit of Measurement

The degree of hardness in water can be measured in a variety of ways, including grains per gallon
(GPG), parts per million (PPM), or milligrams per litre (mg/L) of calcium carbonate equivalent
(CCE). The classification of water hardness can vary depending on the scale used, but the general
guidelines are:

 Soft water: 0-75 mg/L CCE

 Moderately hard water: 75-150 mg/L CCE
 Hard water: 150-300 mg/L CCE
 Very hard water: > 300 mg/L CCE

Procedure

1. Take 25 ml of tap water and then add 25 ml of deionized water.

2. Add 1-2 ml of Ammonia Buffer.
3. Add 2 drops of indicator (EBT), color of solution will turn to vine red.
4. Now titrate it against 0.01M EDTA solution.
5. Titrate it until vine red turns to steel blue color.
6. Note the ml of titrant used & calculate hardness.

Total Hardness = Volume of EDTA * M * 100 * 100 / ml of Sample

M = Molarity = 0.01 M EDTA

2|Page
 Environmental Engineering – 20-CE-92

Chemicals

 EDTA (Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid) - Titrant

 Erichrom Black T – Indicator
 Ammonia Buffer (To Adjust pH)

Apparatus
 Flask
 Beaker
 Wash bottle
 Burette

EDTA Method

In EDTA method, water is titrated with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid using EBT (Eriochrome
black T) as indicator. EBT forms red color with water and titration changes the color to blue.

Hard Water  EDTA Indication  10 pH Buffer Sol.  Red Solution  Titration  Blue Sol.

3|Page
 Environmental Engineering – 20-CE-92

Observations & Calculations

ml of water sample = 50 ml

M1 = 0

M2 = 7.2

M3 = 14.8

Mavg = 14.8 – 7.2 = 7.4

Total Hardness = 7.4 * 0.01 *100 * 1000 / 50

= 148 mg/L as CaCO3

Results

Total Hard of Water Sample= 148 mg/L as CaCO3

The water sample we tested falls under limit of “Moderately Hard Water.” Moreover, our sample
is within the standard limits suggested by Punjab Environmental Quality Standards for Drinking
Water.

4|Page