Chapter 12 | Freshwater Available to Purchase

This chapter provides an overview of standard corrosion testing procedures for freshwater systems. Freshwater can be defined simply as water that is not salty. Brackish water as defined by the dictionary is water having a somewhat salty taste. A more quantitative definition of brackish water is water with a salinity between 0.5 and 17 parts per thousand. Freshwater can be further defined as water with a salinity of less than 0.5 parts per thousand. Freshwater systems include potable water, heating/cooling, steam, condensate, rivers, streams, lakes and wastewater. Corrosion studies are beneficial for both ensuring a safe operating system and containing costs associated with maintenance, downtime, and replacement parts. Testing aids in selecting a material, designing the physical and operating parameters of a system, selecting a water treatment program to mitigate corrosion, and monitoring the effectiveness of water treatment. These studies are especially useful when a system is in the design stage; however, existing systems also benefit from corrosion testing.