TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page    –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         i

Declaration  –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         ii

Certification –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         iii

Dedication   –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         iv

Acknowledgment  –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         v

Table of Contents  –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         vi

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION     –         –         –         –         –         –         –         1

CHAPTER TWO 

2.0     NATURAL WATER       –         –         –         –         –         –         6

2.1     Sources of Water Hardness        –         –         –         –         –         6

2.2     Types of Hardness of Water      –         –         –         –         –         6

2.2.1  Temporary Hardness       –         –         –         –         –         –         6

2.2.2  Permanent Hardness        –         –         –         –         –         –         7

2.3     Effects of Hard Water      –         –         –         –         –         –         9

2.4       Water Pollution    –         –         –         –         –         –         –         12

2.5     Water Pollution Prevention        –         –         –         –         –         13

CHAPTER THREE

3.0 Water Treatment and Uses   –         –         –         –         –         –         19

3.1     Water Treatment    –         –         –         –         –         –         –         19

3.2     Water Purification –         –         –         –         –         –         –         23

3.3     Industrial Water Treatment        –         –         –         –         –         24

3.4     Uses of Water        –         –         –         –         –         –         –         25

3.4.1  Household/Domestic Use –         –         –         –         –         –         25

3.4.2  Recreational Use   –         –         –         –         –         –         –         26

3.4.3  Agricultural Use    –         –         –         –         –         –         –         26

3.4.4  Industrial Use        –         –         –         –         –         –         –         28

CHAPTER FOUR

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

4.1     Summary     –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         30

4.2     Conclusion  –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         31

REFERENCES

CHAPTER ONE

1.0     INTRODUCTION

Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula H₂O. It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, and it is the main constituent of earth’s hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a solvent (U.S. Department of the Interior, 2019). It is vital for all known forms of life, despite not providing food. Energy or organic micronutrients. Its chemical formula, H₂O, indicates that each of its molecules contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms, connected by covalent bonds. The hydrogen atoms are attached to the oxygen atom at an angle of 10^o + 45^o. “Water” is also the name of the liquid state of H₂O at standard temperature and pressure.

Because earth’s environment is relatively close to water’s triple point, water exists on earth as a solid, liquid, and gas (Butler and John, 2023). It forms precipitation in the form of rain and aerosols in the form of fog. Clouds consist of suspended droplets of water and ice, its solid state.

When finely divided, crystalline ice many precipitate in the form of snow. The gaseous state of water is steam or water vapor.

Water covers about 71% of the earth’s surface. With seas and oceans making up most of the water volume on earth (about 96.5%) (United State Geological Survey, U. S. Department of the Inferior, 2019). Small portions of water occur as groundwater (1.7%), in the glaciers and the ice caps of Antarctica and Greenland (1.7%), and in the air as vapor, clouds (consisting of ice and liquid water suspended in air), and precipitation (0.001%) (Gleick, 2013). Water moves continually through the water cycle of evaporation transpiration (evapotranspiration), condensation, precipitation, and runoff, usually reaching the sea.

Water plays an important role in the World economy. Approximately 70% of the fresh water used by humans goes to agriculture (Baroni et al., 2007). Fishing in salt and fresh water bodies has been, and continues to be, a major source of food for many parts of the world, providing 6.5% of global protein (Troell et al., 2014). Much of the long-distance trade of commodities (such as oil, natural gas, and manufactured products) is transported by boats through seas, Rivers, Lakes and Cannals. Large qualities of water, ice and steam are used for cooling and heating, in industry and homes. Water is an excellent solvent for a wide variety of substances both mineral and organic, as such it is widely used in industrial; processes, and in cooking and washing. Water, ice and snow are also central to many sports and other forms of entertainment, such as swimming, pleasure boating, boat raeing, surfing, sport fishing, diving, ice skating and skiing.

Hard water is water that has high mineral content (in contrast with soft water”). Hard water is formed when water percolates through deposits of limestone, chaile or gypsum (National Groundwater Association, 2019). Which are largely made up of calcium and magnesium carbonates, bicarbonates and sulfates.

Hard drinking water may have moderate health benefits. It can pose critical problems in industrial settings, where water hardness is monitored to costly breakdowns in boilers, cooling towers, and other equipment that handles water. In domestic settings, hard water is often indicated by a lack of foam formation when soap is agitated in water, and by the formation of limescale in kettles and water heaters (World Health Organization, 2003). Where ever water hardness is a concern, water softening is commonly used to reduce hard water’s adverse effects. Water pollution has become a global problem now a day’s ongoing evaluation of water resource policy is needed to counter this problem. Deaths and diseases are caused world wide due to water pollution and approximately 14000 people die every day due to water pollution (Letchinger, 2000).

Both developed as well as developing countries are facing water pollution problems (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2009). Water quality is influenced by many factors like precipitation, climates, soil types, vegetation, geology, flow conditions, ground water and human activities. The greatest threat to water quality is posed by point sources of industries and municipalities.

Activities like mining, urban development and Agriculture also effect water quality, along point source pollution also includes nutrients sediments and toxic contaminants (Hogan, 2010).