Water and Wastewater Terms Beginning Z

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

zeolite

A type of ion exchange material used to soften water. Natural zeolites are siliceous compounds (made of silica) that remove calcium and magnesium from hard water and replace them with sodium. Synthetic or organic zeolites are ion exchange materials that remove calcium or magnesium and replace them with either sodium or hydrogen. Manganese zeolites are used to remove iron and manganese from water.