WATER MATTERS
WHAT IS A TDS METER?
A TDS meter is a small hand-held device used to indicate the Total Dissolved Solids in a solution, usually water. Since dissolved ionized solids, such as salts and minerals, increase the conductivity of a solution, a TDS meter measures the conductivity of the solution and estimates the TDS from that reading.
WHY MEASURE TDS?
First, it’s important to know what TDS really is: Total Dissolved Solids. After water falls to the ground as rain, it dissolves the minerals present in the rocks and soil it passes over or through. As it dissolves these minerals, they remain in the water at varying levels of concentration. This is a very natural process and it helps make water taste “right” by slightly raising the pH of the water. The most common minerals found in water are Calcium, Magnesium, and Sodium.
Some areas of the country have higher levels of these dissolved minerals in their water making it “hard” and other areas have lower levels. Anything under 200 mg/L (or ppm) is good and 100 mg/L is considered excellent. As the TDS level goes below this level (as the minerals are removed) the water has a lower pH and becomes more acidic or corrosive. This causes a noticeable difference in the taste of the water. TDS levels over 400 mg/L are considered non-potable (don’t drink that stuff).
WHAT DOES TDS NOT MEASURE?
A TDS meter does not measure contaminants. It will not tell you if your water is healthy. Some healthy minerals like potassium, magnesium, and calcium can actually cause your TDS meter to spike. So, any water filter with a remineralizer will cause the opposite effect on a TDS meter than you expect. Your water could also have heavy metals like lead, or other contaminants like pesticides, pharmaceuticals, or hexavalent chromium. The TDS meter will not pick these contaminants up.
DO YOU NEED A TDS METER OR A WATER TESTING KIT?
When considering water filtration, the short answer is: no – you do not need a TDS meter. Having your water tested using a test kit will provide a report that explains exactly what’s in the water – including those dissolved solids. You’ll find out what contaminants are in your water that causes you concern, and then you can find a filtration solution to meet all of your water goals.
DISCOVERING ALKALINITY IN OUR SCHOOL WATER
are testing for alkalinity in our school water because it is important that we understand what is in our school water. Alkalinity is important to have in our school water because if water is alkalinity free it is more likely to be prone to be acidic. Alkalinity helps the water stay stable in pH. It is essential for us drink clean water for health reason, plus us teens need water for our daily diet : ). Read to learn more about alkalinity and if it’s found in our school water.
What is Alkalinity?
Alkalinity is a measure of the capacity of water to neutralize acids or hydrogen ions. Alkalinity can sometimes be refereed as “Carbonate hardness”. Alkalinity acts as a buffer if any changes are made to the water’s pH value. The Alkalinity in the water will help keep the water’s pH stabilized. The drinking water and all water should be a pH of 7 meaning that it’s neutral.
High alkalinity is good to have in our drinking water because it keeps the water safe for us to drink. The amount of Alkalinity that should be in our water is 20-200 mg/L for typical drinking water. Alkalinity is basically dissolved minerals in the water that help neutralize the water we drink.
Where does it come from?
Most alkalinity in surface water comes from calcium carbonate (CaCO3) that come from rocks and soil. Limestone contains high level of calcium carbonate. The process is enhanced if the rocks and soil have already been broken up before entering the water. The dissolved minerals get into the water through construction and other processes
Procedure of Alkalinity Test;
First you have to fill the titration tube up to the 5ml line with water.
Then put one Bromcresol Green-Methyl Red tablet in the water. Cap and shake until the tablet disappears. The water might turn blue-green. If the water turns pink, the water doesn’t have alkalinity.
Then you fill the direct-reading titration with the Alkalinity Tiration Reagent B. Then fill the titration when the plunger is up to the zero graduation mark. After the plunger is up to the zero graduation mark, put the titration in the center hole of the titration tube cap.
Depress the plunger slowly till the titrate sample which is blue-green color changes to pink. The amount of Reagent B that is depressed into the titration until it turns pink is the amount of alkalinity in the water. It is measured my parts per million (ppm) out of 200 ppm.
Water Analysis
water analysis solutions help customers worldwide analyze even the most diverse matrices and time-sensitive drinking, surface, ground water and waste samples to ensure regulatory compliance aiding in our world-wide goal for contamination-free water. We have extremely reliable, proven ICP-MS, ICP-OES, GC, GC/MS, LC, LC/MS, LC/MS/MS and UV/Vis/NIR technologies for water testing.
Superior ICP-MS technology for lead, copper and other trace metals testing to ensure compliance with EPA, ISO and APAC regulations
Accurate and fast GC/MS technology for volatile and semi-volatile organic testing using enhanced sample prep and sample introduction applications ensuring the highest degree of instrument uptime
High quality optical features and excellent performance specifications from UV/Vis technology are perfect for reliable and accurate quantification of heavy metals and other inorganic and organic elements in water
Simple and effective tools to demonstrate regulatory compliance and identify the causes of non-compliance
Durable, unparalleled stability and reliability for standard testing, emerging microplastics applications and detection of nanoparticles
Nanomaterials and microplastics are not new to us. Nanomaterials, chemical structures with at least one dimension of 1 to 100 nanometers, are produced through natural processes such as volcanic eruptions as well as manufacturing. Microplastics are nearly all manmade material, plastic fragments or particles less than five millimeters in length. Although the benefits of plastics and nanotechnology are undeniable, there are mounting concerns over the potential negative impact they may pose to human and environmental health. Usage guidance and regulatory standards are evolving as these materials continue to be present in every day products.
Ammonia-nitrogen (NH3-N) occurs naturally in groundwaters at concentrations below 0.2 mg/L and up to 12 mg/L in surface waters, as a result of decomposition of organic matter. High concentrations of ammonia in surface waters are toxic to aquatic life and are indicative of contamination from industrial effluent, raw sewage and agricultural runoff. Ultimately the pH value of the water determines whether ammonia-nitrogen is found as NH4+, NH4OH or NH3. 1 In this application, the quantitative analysis of ammonia-nitrogen was performed using the LAMBDA 265™ UV/Vis spectrophotometer and CHEMetrics ammonia nitrogen cell test.
Water Quality & Protection
Ministry of Environment requires the City to provide notice to consumers about the quality of water produced and supplied. The City is also required to provide information on the performance of its drinking water system and submit water samples.
A cross-connection occurs when the water supply comes into direct contact with a contaminant. For example, when you attach your water hose to a pesticide sprayer, a dangerous cross-connection is created. If a drop in water pressure occurs, the hose could act as a link and subsequently siphon the pesticide in the sprayer back into the drinking water supply.
To ensure that potentially harmful cross-connections are avoided, the installation of backflow prevention devices in new homes and buildings is required.
You can help prevent dangerous cross-connections by:
Leaving a sufficient gap of at least 2.5 cm between the water supply and a potentially contaminated water source.
Never placing the end of a hose in contaminated water, such as a dishpan, a wading pool, fish tank or pail.
Attaching a hose connection vacuum breaker to outdoor taps when using a pesticide sprayer with your garden hose.
Installing a backflow prevention device.
Licensed Backflow Test Companies
To perform backflow prevention tests, plumbing companies must be certified by the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and licensed
Questions to Ask Before You Buy A Water Treatment System
The first step in choosing a water treatment device is to have your water tested. Tests should be done at an independent, state certified lab.
If the water test indicates that you have a problem, installation of a treatment system may be necessary to remedy it. Be aware that water treatment equipment has trade-offs. There is routine maintenance. Some systems may need to be periodically back-flushed, which will increase the wastewater load to your septic system. The treatment may remove one contaminant, yet add something else to your water. For example, an ion exchange system installed to remove iron and manganese, may add sodium to your drinking water, causing a potential problem for people with high blood pressure or on sodium-restricted diets.
Be a good consumer and do your research when shopping for water treatment equipment. The following are questions you can ask a water treatment professional or the water well contractor who installed the well to determine the type of system needed. Background information follows many of the questions. The extent to which the manufacturer or distributor is willing to provide answers can assist you in making an informed choice.
Were the water tests adequate?
Some water treatment companies include free in-home water testing in their services. Not all contaminants can be evaluated this way. For example, many man-made chemicals, which have been associated with serious health problems, must be analyzed in a laboratory with sophisticated equipment. The consumer must be wary of companies that claim that their home analyses determine more than basic water quality constituents such as hardness, pH, iron, and sulfur. Ideally, you should verify in-home tests with a water test conducted by a state certified laboratory.
Once you’ve accurately determined what contaminants and characteristics your drinking water has, the level detected will dictate the type of treatment system. Factors to consider include whether the water presents a health hazard and how the levels detected compare to EPA Federal and/or State Drinking Water Quality Standards.