5 Ways to Monitor Water Quality
Did you ever wonder if the water you drink every day is safe? Is it filled with the required nutritional and mineral value recommended for home drinking water? Is it safe for your kids? Is the water you fill every day in your fish tank not actually killing them?
Water monitoring provides this basic information and answers all your commonly asked questions. And it is essential that you check your water quality once in a while to prevent unwanted consequences.
This is why we have a few local water testing ways to monitor your water quality issues and check if it is in the best form for regular consumption and usage for your family.
Read on to get our water quality monitoring tips, both for your home water and natural bodies of water that feed into our drinking water systems.
Parameters to Keep in Mind While Monitoring Water Quality
- pH: pH of water specifies how alkaline or acidic the water is. 6.5 to approximately 8.5 is the most acceptable range of pH. It is suggestively correlated with total hardness, sulfates, electrical conductivity and TSS (Total suspended solids).
- Turbidity: The amount of non-filterable, dispersed particulates in water is measured as turbidity. Additionally, this might obstruct the purification of water. Using a nephelometer or turbidimeter, it is measured. Total hardness, chemical oxygen demand, sulfates, electrical conductivity, and total dissolved solids all substantially correlate with it.
- Temperature: This is the most critical parameter. It affects gaseous molecule transfer rates and also the number of dissolved oxygen molecules in water.
- Chloride: While it is naturally found in water and is not dangerous to humans, if the concentration rises above 250 mg/l, the taste of the water tends to become saltier and may be detrimental to agricultural activities.
- Dissolved oxygen: This proves that oxygen is soluble in water. Water primarily produces oxygen through photosynthesis or absorbs it from the atmosphere. It is absolutely necessary for aquatic life.
- Total hardness: The amount of magnesium and calcium in the water is a crucial factor in determining whether it is suitable for home and industrial use.
The 5 Ways to Monitor Natural Water Quality on an Ecological Scale
Healthy water bodies have a big impact on the health of the underwater flora, fauna, and environment as a whole. We can identify the natural and anthropogenic causes impacting water bodies with the aid of efficient and proactive water-quality monitoring systems.
To make sure that the water bodies comply with environmental regulations, restoration programs can be planned using the findings.
Here are five methods for measuring natural water quality and keeping an eye on it to promote a clean and wholesome aquatic ecosystem for you and your family.
1. CDOM/FDOM (Colored/ Florescent Dissolved Organic Matter) Monitoring
Water bodies naturally include CDOM. By absorbing ultraviolet light, this organic material breaks down to release tannin, which makes the water murky. Additionally, tannin lowers the pH (acidity) of the water and decreases oxygen levels.
Electrical and optical sensors that use sapphire and fluorometers lenses may measure CDOM/FDOM levels. These sensors measure the amount of light available in water bodies based on the water level and show how much dissolved biological matter is present (DOM).
2. Chlorophyll Fluorescence Analysis
Algae thrive in lakes and ponds, where the surface water is rich in mineral elements like phosphorus and nitrogen. Algal overgrowth causes oxygen levels to drop and increases nitrogen and phosphorus levels, harming the surrounding flora and fauna.
Algal toximeters are used to measure chlorophyll fluorescence. This is a practical way to control unwarranted algal growth and keep an eye on the water quality.
3. Salinity, Conductivity with TDS Monitoring
A water body’s conductivity is an excellent early predictor of its quality. The oxygen concentration in the water is influenced by conductivity, which also affects the salinity and total dissolved solid content.
To examine the water quality, salinity, conductivity, and TDS meters, measure the specific electrical conductance of electrolytes dissolved in water. These instruments measure a different parameter, yet the findings are connected and suggestive of contamination.
4. Water Temperature
The other water quality characteristics, including the rate of metabolism and photosynthesis, pH, conductivity, salinity, dissolved gaseous concentrations and water density, are all significantly influenced by temperature.
For instance, plants and aquatic creatures are poisoned by ammonia at high pH levels. An abrupt temperature change, however, can magnify the effect.
To measure temperatures at various depths, times, and locations, a variety of instruments are utilized, thermistors, thermocouples including thermometers and digital temperature sensors.
5. pH Monitoring
A rising pH level poses a threat to the aquatic ecology. The pH of the water is altered and the concentrations of harmful ammonia rise as a result of some circumstances, including pollution and an overabundance of algae.
Water test kits that offer a wide range of pH values and are color-coded can be used to measure pH. These kits are the most effective at illuminating the pH- range that the water is categorized into. Electronic pH sensors, on the other hand, provide measurement data with a precision of up to two approximate decimal places.
Water Treatment At Home
There are numerous methods to treat household and well water users. There is no one sort of treatment that will be effective for every issue.
Common household treatment systems include filtration channels, water softeners, distillation systems, well water treatment systems, and disinfection.
But to determine the best for you, you can buy a home water tester kit or contact your nearest local health department to help you choose the best water treatment system according to your need.
Regular Water Quality Monitoring - Because ‘Precaution is Better Than Cure’
Monitoring helps us answer a few major health, hygiene and daily consumption questions. Regular monitoring helps you characterize waters and identify changes or trends in water quality over time. This will help you make decisions regarding your purifier settings, whether you might need a water softener, etc.
Water monitoring also helps you identify specific existing or emerging water quality problems. As aware citizens, it helps determine whether compliance with pollution regulations or implementation of effective water filter actions are being met by your government, thus bringing us closer to keeping our family safe and getting closer to sustainable living.
