Turbidity

How Does Turbidity Affect Water Quality?

Turbidity is an essential parameter for monitoring water quality as it directly impacts the appearance, safety, and health of aquatic ecosystems. High turbidity can indicate the presence of sediments, organic matter, and pollutants in water, leading to reduced water clarity, clogged filters, and reduced effectiveness of water treatment processes. High turbidity can also interfere with the disinfection of water, leading to a higher risk of waterborne diseases. Therefore, remote, continuous monitoring of turbidity is crucial to ensure safe and healthy water for consumption and aquatic ecosystems.

Continuous turbidity sensors are used to monitor and measure the turbidity of water in real-time. These sensors consist of a light source and a detector. The light source illuminates the water, and the detector measures the amount of light that is scattered by the suspended particles. The sensor then converts the scattered light into an electrical signal that is processed to provide a turbidity reading. Continuous turbidity sensors are designed to provide reliable and accurate measurements over time, and they can be used to monitor changes in turbidity levels, detect pollution events, and ensure the effectiveness of water treatment processes.

What Level of Turbidity is Safe?

The unit of turbidity measurement is called a Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU). The greater the scattering of light, the higher the turbidity. Low turbidity levels and values indicate high water clarity, while high values indicate low water clarity. Turbidity should ideally be kept below 1 NTU because of how it impacts disinfection, as mentioned with drinking water quality.