COVER STORY
How safe is your
DRINKING WATER? Potable water is one of the most important resources in the world. It is therefore essential to test for a number of parameters in order to keep the public safe and prevent damage to treatment processes and the environment.
E
ach person requires at least 20 to 50 litres of clean, safe water a day for drinking, cooking and simply keeping themselves clean. There are a variety of parameters that are measured at a drinking water plant, which can vary based on whether the source is surface water or groundwater. Electrochemistry parameters: • pH • conductivity • ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) like fluorides and nitrates. Chemical reagent-based parameters: • chlorine • phosphate • iron • fluoride • nitrate • hardness • manganese. Hanna offers a wide range of testing equipment for water plants. It also stocks the necessary probes, including ISEs, and solutions used for calibration and maintenance.
Measuring turbidity
Turbidity, in its simplest form, is the amount of cloudiness in the water. It is a benchmark water quality parameter across all environments – from municipal drinking water facilities to environmental monitoring. The primary
6
MAR /APR 2022
HI98703 Turbidity Meter
As one of the most common and intuitive qualities of water, turbidity is the first thing we notice about water. Is it cloudy or clear? However, behind the cloudiness lies some important implications. Turbidity can affect everything from how water is disinfected to the quality of our lakes, oceans and streams.
Measuring chlorine
goal of drinking water treatment is to remove and reduce turbidity. This can vary from a river full of mud and silt, where it would be impossible to see through the water (high turbidity), to spring water that appears to be completely clear (low turbidity). Turbidity is an optical measurement that indicates the presence of suspended particles. It is measured by shining light through a sample, and quantifying the suspended particle concentration. The more particles that are in a solution, the higher the turbidity. It is important to note that while turbidity correlates with suspended solids, measuring turbidity is not the same as measuring total suspended solids (TSS). TSS measurements are gravimetric, which quantifies the mass of the solids suspended in a sample, performed by weighing the separated solids.
Chlorine is a common chemical used by many due to its disinfection, oxidation and bleaching properties. Chlorine is used to disinfect and keep bacteria from growing in swimming pools, drinking water and food processing.
HI97711 – portable photometer
• Advanced portable, waterproof photometer that measures free and total chlorine in water (up to 5 mg/ℓ). It has an innovative optical system that offers superior performance in
HI97711 Portable Chlorine Photometer
