Turbidity pertains to fine particles such as clay, silt, sand, and organic matter that impact water clarity, or the measure of how clear water is. It causes cloudiness or haziness in water and can indicate the presence of contaminants. It can also affect the taste, odor, and appearance of the water.
Turbidity in well water does have the potential to damage your well and water system. It can lead to the clogging of pipes, screens, and filters increasing the wear and tear on your system. Also, high levels of turbidity can provide a suitable environment for the growth of bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms, which can pose a risk to human health if consumed.
When do I need to test my well for turbidity?
Turbidity is measured in Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) and the USEPA has set the drinking water standard for turbidity to not exceed 1 NTU for both health and aesthetic reasons. To ensure you are protecting your family’s health, we have developed a set of recommendations for testing that are provided in our article, "What do I need to know about sampling my well water?" , that includes turbidity. When testing your well water you will very rarely be testing for only one thing, like turbidity, and instead testing for a suite of constituents that are important to identify if in your drinking water.
How do I treat my well water for turbidity?
Once you have tested your water and determined you need to treat it, the Minnesota Department of Health has created a Home Water Treatment Guide that covers treatment for any common constituents in well water. The most important advice we can provide you is if you are going to add treatment to your home water system, be sure the treatment device has been certified to remove turbidity by an independent third-party certification organization.
Where can I get local help and information about turbidity in my well water?
Contact your local health department – They can help you interpret your sample results and may have information on the best treatment options for your situation. If they personally aren’t able to answer your questions, they will know who to contact who will be able to help you, likely at your state health department.
Contact a water treatment professional - we would recommend contacting a water treatment professional who has been certified through the Water Quality Association’s Professional Certification Program.
State or Federal Geologic or Water Resource Agency – they may have completed field studies of your area or collected samples from water wells to map and understand the water quality in your state. In addition, they may house water well logs, including yours, or be able to provide additional information about the aquifer your well is getting water from.
Consult your well driller or drilling contractor – the contractor that drilled your well, and other local contractors, may be aware of the water quality issues nearby including high iron, and might have worked with other well owners in your area to solve this issue .
Research online – you should be inquisitive; it will help you significantly because there may be great information available online. Use search terms like “my state (CA, ME, IL, etc.) water well logs”, “my state groundwater quality”, or “my state well water quality”.
Contact us directly – if these other local sources don’t work out for you, we may be able to help. We may be able to provide direct assistance, and/or direct you to a technical assistance provider in your area who can help answer your questions (free service funded by USEPA).
Additional Resources
Factsheet on Water Quality Parameters: Turbidity. 2021. USEPA
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