Turbidity

Water turbidity measures how cloudy a sample of water is as a result of suspended particles. Since these particles occur as a result of both sediment erosion and planckton growth, turbidity can indicate the general state of stream processes for a location. The Jackson Turbidity Scale uses a comparison between a water sample from the environment and a pure water sample with a known amount of sediment added in order to measure the clarity of the water.

How to interpret:

Generally measured in Nephelometric Turbidity Units, this value indicates the clarity of a water sample.

• 0.1 NTU: Common turbidity measurement for tap water.
• 1 NTU: Common regulatory limit for drinking water quality.