When you decide to pour yourself a glass of water you are expecting to see a nice clear drink. If you are out in the wilderness and on the hunt for safe water to drink the level of visibility may be less of an issue. There are things that we have come to expect from our drinking water. We want it to taste good and clean and you definitely don’t want to see anything floating around or fogging up the water. The haziness of the water that you are looking at can be measured and it is called the turbidity of the water. The term turbidity is not only used in water but can be used in things like plastic as well. When someone tells that you that a turbidity test has been done you may be wondering what that is and what it means for your drinking water.
AAA Water Team Explains What Water Turbidity Is & What It Means For Your Drinking Water
What is Turbidity in Drinking Water?: When you are talking about the turbidity of drinking water you are really just talking about the haziness or clearness of the water. You don’t want to see any haziness which is what we have become accustomed to. The turbidity of the water is basically the presence of solids that are suspended in the water. It can be a high level or low but surely there is some level no matter what type of water you are drinking. The solids are not identified by a turbidity test but it does tell you that there are solids in the water and at what level. There are some solids that are called settleable solids that will eventually land on the bottom of a container when left alone. The other solids may stay suspended in the water and those are called colloidal solids. They may fall to the base of the container eventually but they also could just stay suspended.
What Causes Turbidity To Occur In Drinking Water?: There are many ways that the level of turbidity can be found in your water. When the water is agitated the soils that are found around the water can end up causing some turbidity. This can also come from pathogens, viruses and bacteria that are able to find a solid to grab onto. You want to eliminate as much of the turbidity in the water before consumption. The level of turbidity is more prominent in rivers, lakes and other water sources and will be less in the water that you drink due to regulations.
Acceptable Turbidity Levels In Drinking Water: When you purchase water to drink or you use the water that is supplied via your tap, the water is regulated. The public drinking system is given a set of guidelines that they are required to follow in order to send to the public. When using the NTU measurement the US does not allow more than 1.0 NTU when it is leaving a water treatment plant.
Whole Home Water Filtration Systems in Naples, Cape Coral, Fort Myers & Lehigh Acres, Florida.
You can better the water that is coming from your tap when you have a whole home water filtration system installed. This will help to remove the solids that ultimately effect the turbidity of the water. Contact AAA Water Team to learn more.
