General Surface and Groundwater Chemistry (Annual Monitoring)

A highly recommended annual water quality analysis for assessing chemical composition in surface and groundwater supplies.

Why is this suite important?

This comprehensive annual water quality monitoring suite provides critical insights into the chemical balance, potential contaminants, and treatment efficiency of surface and groundwater supplies.

• Heavy metals and contaminants, such as arsenic, lead, and manganese, can pose health risks if present in high concentrations.
• Hardness, alkalinity, and total dissolved solids (TDS) influence the scaling and corrosion potential of plumbing and treatment systems.
• Fluoride, nitrate, and other dissolved components affect the overall safety and suitability of water for drinking purposes.
• Langelier Saturation Index (LSI) helps determine whether the water is corrosive (damaging to pipes and infrastructure) or scale-forming (causing mineral buildup in plumbing and treatment systems).

Regular annual testing ensures that your water remains within safe parameters and helps detect changes in water chemistry over time, allowing for proactive adjustments in treatment.

The Maximum Acceptable Values (MAVs) and treatment limits for these determinands are:

• Microbiological & Aesthetic Parameters:

  • Turbidity: <1.0 NTU for effective disinfection
  • UVT @ 254 nm: Must be suitable for UV disinfection based on manufacturer specifications

• Chemical Contaminants:

  • Arsenic: 0.01 mg/L
  • Boron: 1.4 mg/L
  • Bromide: No MAV, but monitored for potential disinfection by-products
  • Calcium & Hardness: No MAV, but hardness >200 mg/L can cause scaling issues
  • Chloride: 250 mg/L (Aesthetic value due to taste issues)
  • Copper: 2 mg/L (Aesthetic guideline, potential plumbing corrosion at high levels)
  • Fluoride: 1.5 mg/L
  • Iron: 0.2 mg/L (Aesthetic guideline, staining at high levels)
  • Lead: 0.01 mg/L
  • Magnesium: No MAV, but high levels contribute to hardness
  • Manganese: 0.04 mg/L (Aesthetic), 0.4 mg/L (Health-based limit)
  • Nitrate-N: 11.3 mg/L as NO₃-N (to prevent Blue Baby Syndrome in infants)
  • pH: 7.0 – 8.5 (Recommended for drinking water)
  • Silica: No MAV, but scaling potential at high levels
  • Sodium: 200 mg/L (Aesthetic guideline, taste threshold)
  • Sulphate: 250 mg/L (Aesthetic, due to taste and potential laxative effects)
  • Zinc: No MAV, but high levels may cause taste issues and affect plumbing

• Water Stability & Corrosion Analysis:

  • Langelier Saturation Index (LSI): Determines if water is corrosive (negative LSI) or scale-forming (positive LSI). A balanced LSI helps prevent infrastructure damage.