What is Turbidity?

Turbidity is the measurement of the clarity or cloudiness of water. A turbidity measurement is used to determine the quality of drinking water and the effectiveness of the filtration process.  High turbidity levels can often signal higher levels of disease causing microorganisms such as viruses, parasites and bacteria. These organisms can cause health issues and symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea and headaches. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set an MCL for turbidity to be 0.5 to 1.0 NTU, because high turbidity levels can interfere with disinfection of the water.