Clear water doesn’t necessarily mean clean water. Many of the substances that affect water quality are completely invisible, and one of the most common ways to measure what’s dissolved in water is Total Dissolved Solids, better known as TDS.
Understanding TDS can help businesses, pool professionals, facility managers, and water treatment providers identify water quality problems before they contribute to scale, declining equipment performance, or unnecessary water replacement.
What Is TDS in Water?
Total Dissolved Solids refers to the combined amount of dissolved substances present in water. These can include minerals, salts, metals, and other inorganic and organic materials.
Unlike sediment or debris that can often be removed through conventional filtration, dissolved solids are small enough to remain in water even when it looks clear.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, naturally occurring minerals such as calcium and magnesium enter water as it moves through soil and rock. Water chemistry can therefore vary significantly depending on its source and location.
If You Can’t See TDS, Why Should You Care?
High TDS doesn’t automatically mean water is unsafe, but elevated levels can indicate water quality conditions that deserve attention. Depending on what’s dissolved in the water and how that water is being used, high TDS may contribute to:
- Scale and mineral buildup
- Reduced equipment efficiency
- Deposits inside plumbing and filtration equipment
- Changes in water quality
- Increased maintenance requirements
This is particularly important in commercial and industrial applications where water continuously moves through pumps, valves, heaters, membranes, piping, and other valuable equipment.
Pure Water Industries’ water purification solutions are designed to address water quality challenges across a variety of applications.
Traditional Filtration Doesn’t Remove Everything
A common misconception is that clear, filtered water has had its dissolved solids removed.
Traditional filtration methods can be excellent at removing sediment and suspended particles, while activated carbon can address other specific water quality concerns. However, these treatment methods generally aren’t designed to significantly reduce TDS.
That’s where reverse osmosis is different. RO technology uses a semi-permeable membrane to separate water from many dissolved substances, making it particularly effective when reducing TDS is an important treatment goal.
Why TDS Matters in Swimming Pools
Swimming pools provide a great example of how dissolved solids can accumulate over time. Chemicals, source water, evaporation, and normal pool operation can gradually increase TDS. Calcium Hardness and Cyanuric Acid can also reach levels where traditional pool maintenance alone may no longer solve the water quality problem.
Instead of automatically draining and replacing thousands of gallons, the Puripool® Process uses mobile reverse osmosis to treat existing pool water onsite.
Better Water Starts With Understanding What’s In It
You can’t determine water quality simply by looking at it.
Testing helps identify what’s actually dissolved in the water and whether additional treatment may be appropriate. When elevated dissolved solids are creating water quality or operational problems, reverse osmosis can provide an effective way to reduce them.
Pure Water Industries manufactures mobile reverse osmosis systems and commercial RO solutions for applications where advanced water purification is needed.
Know Your Water. Choose the Right Treatment.
Understanding TDS is an important first step toward making better water treatment decisions. Pure Water Industries can help identify reverse osmosis solutions based on your water quality, application, and treatment goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good TDS level in water?
The appropriate TDS level depends on the water source and how the water will be used. A TDS reading measures the total concentration of dissolved substances but does not identify which specific minerals, salts, or other materials are present.
Does high TDS mean water is unsafe?
Not necessarily. High TDS does not automatically mean water is unsafe, but it can indicate elevated concentrations of dissolved substances. Additional water testing may be needed to determine what is present and whether treatment is appropriate.
Does a standard water filter remove TDS?
Most conventional sediment and carbon filtration systems are not designed to significantly reduce Total Dissolved Solids. Reverse osmosis uses a semi-permeable membrane to reduce many dissolved substances in water.
How does reverse osmosis reduce TDS?
Reverse osmosis forces water through a semi-permeable membrane that separates the treated water from many dissolved minerals, salts, and other substances. This process can significantly reduce TDS depending on the source water and system configuration.
Can reverse osmosis lower TDS in swimming pools?
Yes. Mobile reverse osmosis can treat swimming pool water onsite to reduce TDS along with certain dissolved minerals and other constituents. This can provide an alternative to draining and replacing large volumes of pool water.