As a rule, assessment of water means assessment of its organoleptic properties.
Transparency
The amount of water transparency depends on the concentration in the water of suspended organic and mineral substances.
In terms of transparency, water can be:
- transparent;
- slightly opalescent;
- opalescent;
- slightly cloudy;
- cloudy;
- very cloudy.
As a rule, these indicators are determined by a special measuring device. But in the past, such an indicator was rather roughly determined by a column of liquid of a certain height and a set of reference colors.
Turbidity
Turbidity is determined not only by the concentration (as in the case of transparency), but also by the size of solid particles. This can be done optically through the size of a solid particle (clays, fibers, organic suspensions, and the most common impurity are soil particles).
Rather turbid water is dangerous by the presence of bacteria and viruses. The surface of suspended particles is an ideal place for the life of microorganisms. The suspended particles themselves are a source of nutrients for microorganisms, that stimulates the active growth and reproduction of microorganisms.
Color
Color occurs when water contains:
- humic acids (humates);
- metals (especially: manganese, copper or iron);
- industrial effluents
Water containing humic substances (products of the breakdown of organic matter in the soil) has a yellow / brown color. As a rule, lakes and rivers contain water of this color.
Artesian waters can often contain metal impurities. These impurities give a different color. You should be in the alert if artesian water has any color.
Smell and after-taste
Smells and after-tastes are evaluated by their intensity and quality indicators. Smells and after-tastes are the most significant indicators. If water has smell or after-taste, then the value of such water is quite low. The intensity of smells and after-tastes ranges from 0 points (no aroma) to 5 points (such water is not consumed). When the value of organoleptic indicators is above 0, their origin is investigated.
