1. Water is the most abundant substance on Earth and has unique properties such as being polar, forming hydrogen bonds, and existing as a solid, liquid, and gas. 2. Common water impurities include dissolved salts, metals, gases, suspended solids, and organic compounds from sources like sewage, manufacturing waste, and decomposition. 3. There are two types of water hardness: temporary hardness caused by bicarbonates that can be removed by boiling, and permanent hardness caused by chlorides, nitrates, and sulfates that require water softening or ion exchange to remove. 4. Several purification methods like boiling, distillation, and