Cloudy, Colored, or Smelly Well Water: Turbidity, Color, and Odor
Turbidity, color, and odor are the three measurements on your water report that describe what your senses would notice: how clear the water is, what color it is, and how it smells. They’re mostly about appearance and comfort, but a high turbidity reading in particular can be a clue that something is going on with your well.Turbidity: how clear is your water?Turbidity measures how cloudy water is. It’s caused by tiny suspended particles such as silt, clay, organic matter, and oxidized iron. The lab measures it in NTU (nephelometric turbidity units) by shining light into the sample and measuring how much the particles scatter. Your report compares the result to a guideline of 5 units, which is roughly where water starts to look visibly cloudy. Well water in good condition is usually below 1.Turbidity itself isn’t toxic, but it matters for two reasons:It can signal a problem with the well. … Continued
