A measurement of the Total Dissolved Solids in your well water or drinking water is an important measure of your water quality. With this reading, you can get a quick summary of how much contamination there is in what comes out of your tap or up from your well. That water could contain high levels of calcium, magnesium, potassium or sodium. But it could also contain arsenic, fluoride, sulfates, nitrates, herbicides, lead or aluminum—substances you definitely don’t want your family consuming in their drinking water.
If your water tastes a little off, or if you notice corrosion or mineral deposits on your plumbing equipment, then getting a TDS test on your water is a good starting point. If you have never tested your well water or you want to ensure your municipal water supply is good quality, this is a good place to start. A high TDS measurement lets you know that a closer look is needed. You’re going to want to know exactly what makes that measurement so high.
A Closer Look at the Contaminants Measured in a TDS Test
Many of the contaminants measured by a TDS test are simply minerals that make their way naturally into your water. At modest levels, some will do no harm. But others are highly toxic.
Remember that water is called a universal solvent—given enough time, water can dissolve anything. Because of that characteristic, all kinds of minerals, metals and chemicals can be dissolved and enter your drinking water. This process is the source of much of the TDS of your water. But human activities may also add many dangerous components to your water.
- Aluminum: This metal can enter your water from mineral deposits. It can also be left behind (in very small quantities) as a result of water purification by a municipal water system. A third way aluminum can enter drinking water is as a result of contamination from industrial operations or leaching from landfills. When aluminum levels in water are too high, bone, kidney and brain disease can result.
- Arsenic: This is another naturally occurring mineral. It can also make its way into your water from industrial activities that manufacture dyes, textiles, wood preservatives, pesticides and pharmaceuticals. Too much arsenic in water causes changes to the skin that can lead to skin cancer. More effects include bladder and lung cancer, higher risk of diabetes and heart disease and harmful effects on pregnancy.
- Bicarbonates: This mineral is usually associated with alkaline water. It is not generally harmful but too-alkaline water will stress the kidneys. Higher levels of carbonate will also adversely affect the taste of water.
- Calcium: Calcium is necessary for the formation of strong bones. Most calcium enters drinking water from deposits in rock. Too much calcium creates unattractive deposits on plumbing fixtures and can gradually damage water heaters, dishwashers and other plumbing fixtures.
- Chloride: The most common chloride in water shows up as table salt. When levels are too high, water will have an unpleasant salty taste and plumbing fixtures will become corroded. Generally, chloride is not unhealthy except for a person on a low-sodium diet.
- Chlorine: This chemical is used almost everywhere as a disinfectant for public water supplies. The biggest risk of chlorine in drinking water is the production of four disinfection byproducts: chloroform, bromodichloromethane, bromoform and dibromochloromethane. These toxic and cancer-causing chemicals have been found in the drinking water of all 50 states.
- Copper: Copper enters water supplies from naturally occurring mineral deposits but also from plumbing fixtures. When water is highly acidic, copper leaches out of pipes and connections within the plumbing system. High copper levels can cause stomach distress, liver damage and kidney disease. It can especially be harmful for infants.
- Fluoride: Groundwater picks up fluoride from mineral deposits. Many municipal water systems also add fluoride to the water supply. Long exposure to higher levels of fluoride can lead to bone pain, fractures and tooth damage.
- Herbicides: There have been hundreds of herbicides used on American agricultural fields. The list of herbicides that have been banned due to the damage they cause keeps growing. Herbicides added to crops stay in soils and then percolate through soil and rock to enter groundwater. Many herbicides cause damage to the endocrine and nervous systems. They can also cause birth defects and cancer. Not all herbicides have the right chemical profile to show up on a TDS test but many do.
- Iron: While it’s not generally harmful to health, iron in drinking water can stain laundry, tableware or fixtures. Some sensitive people can suffer from stomach or bowel issues if the level becomes too high.
- Lead: Lead can come from mineral deposits, industrial operations or municipal waste disposal. When a home still has lead in plumbing pipes or fixtures and the water supply is acidic, lead can be released into the water. Lead is very damaging to the kidneys and brain. It is especially harmful for babies and children, delaying their mental development and ability to learn.
- Magnesium: Magnesium is another vital mineral for good health. But like calcium, when there is too much, accumulations can clog plumbing and appliances.
- Potassium: Potassium is essential for health and is seldom found at high levels in drinking water. In general, the only people harmed by increased levels of potassium are those susceptible to high levels of potassium in their blood.
- Sodium: Obviously, high levels of sodium will give water a salty taste. For the most part, the only people who need to treat their water to reduce sodium are those on low-sodium diets.
- Sulfates: Sulfates enter the water as it passes through mineral deposits that contain sulfates, or if the groundwater has been contaminated by industrial or agricultural operations. Sulfates are found in fertilizers and pesticides. High levels can cause diarrhea and will make the water taste bitter.
- Zinc: Zinc is not a problem at low levels. But it is often used in the manufacture of rubber, deodorants, dyes and wood preservatives so industrial operations can release too-high levels of zinc. Some plumbing pipes have been coated with zinc which can add this metal to the water. High levels can cause nausea, vomiting, anemia and pancreas damage.
Does Your Water Contain High Levels of Any of These Dissolved Substances?
If your household relies on your own private well, it is very smart to know the level of dissolved substances in your water. When you have a new well or you first move into a home supplied by a well, you should have a comprehensive water test done on your well. This gives you a baseline, a starting point so you can compare all future water tests to this one. If your water quality worsens, you can look at the type of contaminant that is now found in your water and look further for the reason.
For example, if your well suddenly tests high in nitrates, you could look around for a recent change in nearby land use. Has someone begun growing crops so they are adding fertilizer to their land? Could a septic system near the well be failing? Is there a feedlot that is not controlling its waste runoff? It is often possible to track down the source of water quality deterioration and take action to remedy it.
All three of ETR Laboratories’ most popular water tests—Basic, Premium and Ultimate Water Tests—provide results not only for the substances in your water but also for Total Dissolved Solid. Your TDS figure will give you an index of the volume of dissolved solids in each glass.
What a TDS Test Won’t Tell You
While a TDS test is very useful, it won’t detect all the contaminants you don’t want in your water. The reason for this is that this test uses the conductivity of your water to calculate TDS. If some readings are too low, they won’t affect the TDS test result. In the case of a contaminant like lead, even a low reading is unhealthy. The Environmental Protection Agency has set a maximum contamination level of zero for lead, meaning that there is no safe exposure level for this metal. Low quantities of lead in your water, from either mineral deposits or leaching from pipes, can be unhealthy but may not affect your TDS result.
A TDS test also won’t detect some pesticides and herbicides, or bacteria, parasites or viruses or pharmaceuticals. That’s because these substances do not conduct electricity in the same way that the substances on the list above do. Therefore, well-owners should be aware of what a TDS test will and won’t detect.
How to Purify Your Water if Your TDS Levels Are Too High
Most of the major water treatment, filtration and purification systems will reduce TDS. There are different advantages and disadvantages to each system that a well owner must consider before their investment.
- Reverse osmosis (RO): This is one of the most effective ways to reduce TDS. It uses a semi-permeable membrane to remove a wide range of dissolved solids, including heavy metals, salts, and other contaminants. RO systems are particularly effective for homeowners who need a high level of purity for drinking and cooking water. However, this process results in a large quantity of wasted water, a point that should be considered before investing.
- Distillation: Distillation involves boiling water to produce steam that is then converted back to water. Most of the dissolved solids are eliminated during this process but it consumes more energy and takes more time than other methods.
- Ion exchange: Passing water through a tank that contains resin beads attracts calcium and magnesium to the beads. However, this process adds sodium to the water which may be unsuitable for a person on a low-sodium diet. Ion exchange systems will not remove organic contaminants so it is usually paired with another type of filtration system.
- Water softeners: Water softeners primarily reduce water hardness by removing calcium and magnesium. They will not address the many other kinds of TDS. They can be effective when paired with other filtration methods.
- Carbon filtration: These filters remove organic compounds such as pesticides, herbicides, chlorine disinfection byproducts, radon and substances that affect the taste and odor or water. They are often used in combination with reverse osmosis systems.
- UV purification: Ultraviolet purification will not remove TDS but will disinfect water by killing bacteria, viruses and parasites. If these contaminants are showing up in your drinking water, along with dissolved solids you can consider adding UV purification to the treatment system you design.
When you are planning a water treatment system for your household water supply, remember that every system requires maintenance. You will need to also plan the maintenance schedule to keep your system operating at full efficiency. Depending on the type of system you have, you may need to replace filters, inspect the system, check for leaks, clean components or add salt. Remember to include these costs in your plan.
Why Rely on a Professional Water Testing Lab for Your TDS Results
The right water test will get you started on the right water treatment or disinfection plan. You will need an experienced and skilled lab to give you not only TDS results but also a breakdown of which solids are dissolved in your well water. This knowledge will tell you how urgent it is to get a water treatment or disinfection system in place.
ETR Laboratories has provided test results for tens of thousands of homeowners as well as municipalities, medical labs and other businesses that rely on pure water. We are also the source of test results for many other water testing companies. That’s correct—they send the water samples to us for testing and we send them back the results. That’s why sending your water samples to us means you can get your results back faster. There’s no middleman.
We will be happy to help you gain peace of mind about your water quality with our highly accurate and fast water tests. Visit our Water Tests page now to choose the right test for your well or municipal water supply.