Hard water is not suitable for domestic and in several cases, even for industrial purposes as well. Hence, it should be softened. But what is hard water and soft water? Hard water is water that has high mineral content. With more magnesium and calcium dissolved in it
, the degree of hardness increases. Hard water is not suitable for domestic usage.
Cooking in hard water takes longer time. When used with hard water, soaps and shampoos lather very little. Hard water causes more residual deposits which are harmful for washing machines, heaters, showers and several other home appliances. The life term of the appliances reduces by forty five per cent.
Hence hard water needs to be softened. Water softening plants soften hard water by removing magnesium, calcium and several metals present in hard water. Softening of water is done by ion exchange process.
For making water suitable for drinking, water should be treated. In water treatment plants, water undergoes various water treatment processes before it becomes perfect for drinking. Water treatment process can be classified into three major stages. In the first stage, larger solids are removed from water.
In the second stage, finer solid pieces, organic and inorganic materials and microorganisms are removed from water. pH balance is also adjusted in this stage. In the final stage, the pathogens which are left even after the first two stages are killed by adding disinfectant.