Knowra Water hardness Water hardness Water hardness measures dissolved multivalent ions in water, chiefly calcium and magnesium. It affects scaling, soap use, and some industrial and household processes.
Calcium in water : Calcium ions dissolved in water, commonly supplied by minerals such as limestone and gypsum. Calcium is one of the main ions counted when measuring hardness.
Dissolved mineral : An inorganic substance present in water as dissolved ions or molecules. Hardness is one aspect of the mineral content dissolved in water.
Water hardness scale : A classification system that groups water as soft, moderately hard, hard, or very hard by mineral concentration. It turns measured hardness into categories used for treatment decisions.
Water alkalinity : Water’s capacity to neutralize acids, mainly due to bicarbonate, carbonate, and hydroxide ions. Alkalinity and hardness can occur together but measure different properties.
Magnesium in water : Magnesium ions dissolved in water, often released as water moves through mineral formations. Magnesium contributes to hardness alongside calcium.
Multivalent ion : An ion with an electrical charge greater than one in magnitude. Hardness is defined around dissolved ions with multiple charges.
Water softener : A device that reduces water hardness, commonly by exchanging calcium and magnesium for sodium or potassium. Household softeners are selected and adjusted according to incoming hardness.
Water salinity : The concentration of dissolved salts in water. Salinity includes a broad range of dissolved salts, not just hardness-causing ions.
Water softening : The removal or reduction of calcium, magnesium, and other hardness-causing ions from water. Softening directly reduces the mineral content measured as hardness.
Calcium carbonate equivalent : A reporting convention that expresses different water constituents as an equivalent concentration of calcium carbonate. Hardness results are commonly converted to this shared reporting basis.
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