Turbidity

Turbidity, we filter that.

What is turbidity? Turbidity is a measurement of the degree to which tap or drinking water loses its transparency due to the presence of suspended particulates. The more total suspended solids in the water, the murkier & darker it seems and the higher the turbidity. Turbidity is considered as a good measure of the quality of water. The darker the water, the lower the quality.

What causes turbidity? There are various contaminants that cause the cloudiness of the water. Some of these are:
- Phytoplankton
- Sediments from erosion
- Waste discharge
- Algae growth
- Urban runoff
- Old or broken pipes

Health Effects

Turbidity refers to cloudiness of water. Turbidity has no health effects, but can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth. Turbidity may indicate the presence of disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea and associated headaches.

Drinking Water Standards

Governments have set standards on the allowable turbidity in drinking water. In the United States, systems that use conventional or direct filtration methods turbidity cannot be higher than 1.0 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU) at the plant outlet and all samples for turbidity must be less than or equal to 0.3 NTU for at least 95 percent of the samples in any month. Systems that use filtration other than the conventional or direct filtration must follow state limits, which must include turbidity at no time exceeding 5 NTU. Many drinking water utilities strive to achieve levels as low as 0.1 NTU. The European standards for turbidity state that it must be no more than 4 NTU. The World Health Organization, establishes that the turbidity of drinking water should not be more than 5 NTU, and should ideally be below 1 NTU.