SOP – Engineering – Regeneration

Of Softener (Water Softener Plant)

21 December 2023 by Augustine
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Standard Operating Procedure for

Regeneration of Softener
The SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) for Engineering regarding the
regeneration of softeners in a water softener plant is a crucial process for
maintaining the efficiency and longevity of the equipment. Softeners remove
minerals and impurities from water, preventing damage to pipes and
appliances and ensuring the delivery of clean, safe water.

The regeneration process involves flushing the softener with a brine solution,
which removes accumulated minerals and regenerates the resin beads that do
the actual softening. The process must be performed regularly, typically every
few weeks, depending on usage and water quality.

To ensure the regeneration process is effective, the SOP outlines the

necessary steps, including shutting off the water supply to the softener,
backwashing the system to remove any debris, preparing and introducing the
brine solution, and rinsing the softener to remove excess salt.

Following the SOP is essential to ensure that the regeneration process is

carried out correctly, preventing damage to the softener and ensuring that it
continues to operate effectively. By adhering to the SOP, engineers can
ensure that the water softener plant continues to provide high-
quality water and maintains optimal efficiency.

Regeneration of softener Standard Procedure

Stages of regeneration of softener:

1) Back-wash:
  Backwash is reverse flow in the softener bed by closing the normal flow
inlet and outlet valve and opening the backwash inlet and outlet valve.
 The dirty water is drained out during the backwash process.
 This process is done to clean the resin bed and also obtain free flow
during the normal process.
 The backwash time depends upon the watercolor or dirt accumulated.
 When clear water is draining backwash system is closed, and the salt
or brain charging starts.
2) Salt charge or Brine charge:

 It is done by introducing common salt solutions of 1.8 specific gravity,

by the ejecting system.
 The salt solution is kept prepared in a salt tank where an ejector
suction pipe is placed.
 During salt charging the entire solution in the tanks is emptied, then
close the drain valve of the softener and also close the salt charging
inlet valve.
 Keep the softener bed for 10 – 20 minutes with the brine solution for
recharging the resins inside the bed, and then start the rinsing process.
 The quantity of salt used in one regeneration is 200 – 300 Kgs.
(depending upon the filter size.)
3) Rinsing of the softener:

 Open the normal flow inlet valve, close the normal outlet valve, and then
open the drain valve.
 Start a raw water pump to drain the water till the taste of the water is
sweet.
 Once you feel the water is sweet, test the water with the reagents to
measure the hardness of the soft water.
 When the sample of soft water is 10ppm as CaCo3 it indicates that the
water is ready to be put into the process/consumption.
Procedure for hardness test:

1. Take 50 ml of water to be tested in a beaker.

2. Add one inch of reagent “A”, after adding the sample water color turns
pink/ red.
3. Add reagent “B”, 10 to 15 drops.
4. Now start adding reagent “S” drop by drop stir the solution
simultaneously and count the number of drops.
5. When the sample color turns pink to blue count the no. of reagent “S”
and multiply by 2.
6. Hardness is no. of reagent drops x 2 = hardness of water in ppm as
CaCo3
7. 10 drop x 2 = 20 ppm(e.g.)
Training Summary questions:
Q1. Explain the procedure for the water hardness test.

Q2. What are the main stages of the regeneration process?

Q3. What is the quantity of salt used in one regeneration?

Q4. How long is the softener bed to be kept on brine solution?

Q5. What are the steps in rinsing the softener?