You may have been in this situation before: you take a glass of water and swallow it, but the taste is somewhat different than expected, or on the other hand, the dishes are clean but washed in the dishwasher without a trace of the detergent. These are all indications that the water that you are using may not be of good quality. One of the most critical parameters in evaluating water quality is water PPM (parts per million). But what does it even entail, and why should it matter to you? In this blog, we shall explain in detail the ppm water meaning, the types of PPM in water that are acceptable for drinking purposes, and, most importantly, how you can get rid of it when necessary.
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2. How does PPM affect water Quality?
1. What is Water PPM?
Water PPM (Parts Per Million) is a term used to express the amount of some constituents, such as minerals, salts, or chemicals in water. Simply, if you have one part of the base solution in one million volumes of water, that is in PPM equal to one. For instance, if your water consists of 300 parts per million of dissolved solids, that is, minerals, salts, etc, then its PPM level is 300.
So why should this concern you? Quantifying the amount of PPM present in water is important since it will help assess the level of contamination in the given water. If the pollution is high and the water PPM is above the average health standard, degenerative diseases could result due to over-intake of dissolved minerals. On the contrary, low-PPM hydrated water is considered to be safe for drinking.
It is possible to obtain PPM values in water through a TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) meter, which only gives the average water quality for a sample. The TDS meter quickly displays the concentration of total dissolved solids in a water sample, which is the straightforward definition of the instrument's operational principle. Measuring the TDS for drinking water is a simple and cost-effective method to determine water's safety for consumption.
PPM Water Meaning
Before discussing PPM meaning water, let’s understand its correlation with TDS regarding drinking water. TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) is a gauge of dissolved substances in the water, such as minerals, salts, and metals. PPM is just the unit for expressing the measurement of TDS. Put differently, TDS is the ‘what’, whereas PPM is the ‘how many.’
As an example, the answer is presented in PPM when measuring TDS in water. So when a TDS meter reads 150 PPM, it means that in one million parts of water, there are 150 parts of some dissolved solids.
2. How Does PPM Affect Water Quality?
As we have established the meaning of PPM in water, let us discuss its PPM and the quality of the water affected by it. The level of PPM determines the following properties of your water, to mention a few.
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Taste and odor: An increase in the hard water ppm can produce a salty, bitter, and metallic taste. However, water with a low PPM is colorless, tasteless, and quite refreshing.
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Potential health impacts: High PPM drinking water may contain minerals that pose health threats when taken at high levels over time. TDS water for drinking purposes demonstrated above the recommended guidelines can be associated with certain impurities, such as heavy metals, salts, etc.
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Effects on appliances and piping: Water that is hard or rich in calcium and magnesium has a high ppm, meaning it contains many dissolved minerals. High levels of hard water ppm can clog appliances and pipelines, making them inefficient and expensive to maintain.
3. How To Test Water PPM?
Monitoring water's PPM is easy and straightforward. Let’s focus on the more frequently used techniques.
- At-Home Testing Methods
You may employ the following water PPM testing methods to check PPM level of water at home.
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TDS Meters: These are simply hand-held meters that can give an almost instant reading of the water PPM. They are cheap, simple, and quick devices that help one gauge the quality of water available.
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Water Quality Test Kits: These kits also come with strips containing certain reactants that color depending on the amount of dissolved solids in the water, thus approximating the PPM levels.
- Professional Water Testing Services
If there is any doubt about the results achieved, an individual may opt for assistance from a water testing service. They will offer you a close examination of what constituents exist within the water and how to deal with them.
4. Ideal PPM for Drinking Water: What is a Good PPM?
Knowing the acceptable PPM levels in drinking water for health and taste perspectives is essential. Here is how to assess the PPM levels of your water source.
Interpreting Your Water's PPM
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Low PPM (0-50): This shows the availability of pure water. However, water with these PPM levels does not have essential elements that other waters have, hence the problem of taste and also adding nutritional value.
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Moderate PPM (51-300): This range is regarded as the best for drinking water. It is normally enough to avoid health problems associated with both excess minerals and too much purification.
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High PPM (301-500): This water may be hard, and the high mineral concentration may cause an unpalatable taste. It may be non-toxic and still be considered for use, but it is not recommended.
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Very High PPM (500+): The water containing above 500 PPM is marked unfit for human consumption by the EPA. It can get into your body and equipment as poison.
Recommended TDS Levels for Drinking Water
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that the TDS for drinking water levels preferably range from 50 to 300 PPM for optimal taste and health. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) however places a threshold of 500 PPM and considers any water below that value safe for human consumption (Read about What TDS is Safe to Drink?). Beyond this, if your water is above this threshold, it would be wise to consider filtration methods to reduce water TDS levels.
5. How to Reduce Water PPM?
If you have tested the water and verified that the levels of PPM as set are higher for your water, do not panic. There are useful importations that can help you cut it down.
Filtration Methods
- Reverse Osmosis Systems
Reverse osmosis systems are very effective in eliminating the dissolved solids in water, hence the drastic reduction of the levels of PPM. They work by passing water through a screen that allows only water particles to pass while leaving all other impurities behind. You may want to purchase reliable RO systems from SimPure.
SimPure reverse osmosis systems are intended to efficiently eliminate all dissolved solids, including minerals, salts, and unwanted elements such as lead and chlorine, specific bacteria, etc. Thus, they considerably reduce the TDS levels of treated water, ultimately delivering pure and pleasant drinking water. For many householders, a SimPure reverse osmosis system would be the most recommended option as it helps to minimize hard water PPM levels and enhance the overall quality of water.
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Distillation: Here, water is boiled, causing steam to be produced. The steam produced is then cooled to give back water, leaving behind the other components. Thus, very little PPM containing water can be achieved.
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Ion Exchange: This process reduces the PPM of hard water by softening it using calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium fibrous beads, which are common in water softeners.
Conclusion
Knowing the water ppm level is one of the basic requirements if you want to maintain the quality of your water. Too low a PPM level may mean your water has been de-mineralized, while too high a PPM may present health risks and damage some appliances. Testing is recommended, along with filtration techniques when appropriate, to maintain water quality and safety for drinking. Test your water right now and take action to avoid unhealthy levels of water PPM!
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