What is the primary purpose of soda ash in the water treatment process?

The primary purpose of soda ash in the water treatment process is to adjust pH. Soda ash, or sodium carbonate, is commonly used to raise the pH of water, which can be necessary for several reasons in treatment processes. A more alkaline pH can facilitate the removal of certain contaminants, improve the efficacy of disinfection processes, and enhance the solubility of minerals, thereby stabilizing the quality of water.

In various treatment systems, maintaining the appropriate pH is vital for optimizing chemical reactions and ensuring the effectiveness of other treatment chemicals. For instance, when coagulation or flocculation processes are employed, the optimal pH range can influence how effectively suspended particles clump together and are removed from the water.

The other options represent different functions that other chemicals or processes typically serve in water treatment, such as removal of dissolved solids or disinfection, which are not the main role of soda ash.