Whenever there is talk about the Purity of water Or you go to buy a new water purifier from a local water purifier shop, the shopkeeper will definitely ask you about the source of water coming to your house like borewell, municipal corporation water source, and TDS level of water. That time you might be a little confused if the term “TDS” is new to you and you do not know about the TDS level of drinking water.
So I thought why not give a short Information about the TDS level of water to my website audience.
A Question might be coming to your mind why should I know about the TDS level of drinking water
The simple answer is if you are buying a new water purifier and will be familiar with the Term ” TDS” then you will be able to choose the right water purifier for your home or office and you can save more money by not buying any unnecessarily high-cost water purifier.
Secondly, You should be aware of all the things that are related to your health, and definitely, the level of TDS in drinking water is related to your health.
So let we start, In this post, I will inform you
Table of Contents
What is TDS
The full form of TDS is ” Total dissolved solids” and the term TDS is used to describe the small amount of Inorganic salts and organic matter present in a water solution. Inorganic salts are mainly found in water such as sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium. In simple language, the mineral substances dissolved in water are called “TDS”. Although TDS in balanced quantity is good for our health because due to TDS, Our body gets essential minerals, salts but an excessive amount of TDS in water is not good for our body.
How TDS of water calculated | How TDS is expressed in terms of ppm in water
TDS is determined by measuring the amount of dissolved hard substances in one million parts of water, In this method, Water TDS is expressed in parts per million (ppm).
We here give you an example for this so you can understand it easily.
Suppose you have 1 kg of water in which 100 mg of calcium sulfate and 100 mg of magnesium sulfate hard substances are dissolved. Thus, the total weight of the hard substances in water is 200 mg.
Now since water weighs is 1Kg, that would be in milligrams (mg) 1000×1000 = one million milligrams ( 10 lakh milligrams), So if there are 200mg hard substances dissolved in 1 kg (one million milligrams) of water, its water TDS will be 200 ppm or 200 mg/L.
hopefully, you understand how TDS is expressed in terms of ppm in water.
TDS level for drinking water
Before knowing the best TDS level for drinking water, we would like to know which certified standard body sets the TDS standard for drinking water. So here I am giving you a piece of short information about the standard body that set the guideline for drinking water.
The World Health Organization (WHO) produces international benchmarks on water quality and human health in the form of guidelines that are used as the basis for regulation and standard-setting around the world.
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the national standard-setting body in India. Which conducts the work of Consumer Affairs, Standards, Products and Systems Certification Scheme in India. The BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) has laid down the norms for the standards of drinking water.
A panel of the World Health Organization studied better levels of TDS in water and came to the following conclusions about drinking water TDS limit. As per WHO Report
Less than 300 | Excellent |
300-600 | Good |
600-900 | Fair |
900-1200 | Poor |
Above 1200 | Unacceptable |
The BIS set the upper limit of the TDS level of drinking water is 500 ppm. Although the standard also mentions that in case no alternative source of drinking water is available, the permissible limit of the TDS in the drinking water can be relaxed to 2,000 ppm.
Less than 50 | Not Acceptable. Due to the lack of essential minerals present in water. |
50-150 | Acceptable. Slightly less mineral present in the water near about 50 tds. A TDS of more than 80 is desirable |
150-250 | Acceptable. This TDS level is good if you are more conscious of cardiovascular fitness. |
250-350 | Acceptable. And enough mineral present in this TDS range of water |
350-500 | Acceptable. As per BIS guidelines, A TDS below 500 ppm is acceptable |
500-900 | Not Acceptable. Excessively hard water. To make it usable, help of an RO water purifier has to be taken |
900-1200 | Not Acceptable. Too hard water, To make it usable help of RO water purifier has to be taken |
1200-2000 | Not Acceptable & fit for drink, You should choose RO water purifier which purify the water upto 2000 |
Above 2000 | Unacceptable and water not for drinkable |
The limit of TDS level in drinking water which has been defined is for freshwater. but if toxic contaminants such as arsenic or fluoride are also dissolved in the water then other special BIS standards will be applicable.
Ideal TDS for drinking water
No health-based guideline value has been proposed for the ideal TDS for drinking water. Because several factors may be responsible for increasing the TDS content in water in places where TDS content is high, the individual constituents should be identified.
Minimum TDS for Drinking Water
There are some essential minerals, salts present in the water which are beneficial for the human body. Hence zero or very minimum TDS for drinking water is not recommended because this water has lacks minerals, salts. If the amount of TDS in water is too low, then the water becomes tasteless. There is no office Statement about minimum TDS for drinking water,
Many water purifier manufacturing companies also advise the customer to not use zero or very minimum TDS for drinking water.
How does a high TDS level in water affect to you
As long as there are no harmful chemical impurities like lead, arsenic, mercury, and fluoride dissolved in the water, the high TDS level will not have a huge impact on your health. As per the BIS guideline, a TDS level below 500 ppm is acceptable. If the TDS level of the water is above 500 ppm then it is advisable to get the water tested for the presence of harmful impurities like lead, arsenic, etc.
A high TDS level, however, can affect the taste and odor of water. it can give water a bitter, metallic, or salty taste, along with discoloring the water
High concentrations of dissolved solids are usually not a health hazard if the water contains essential minerals such as calcium and magnesium.
If you have found that during water taste, harmful chemical impurity present in the water then you can use the multi-stage RO water purifier for water purification.
How does a low TDS level in water affect to you
There is no scientific data to support that consumption of low TDS water will have adverse health effects. However, water with low TDS lacks essential minerals, but it is a matter of concern for the highly active lifestyle person also People who drink water with low levels of TDS often complain the water taste has a flat and insipid taste, hence taste of the water is another factor in determining whether to drink low TDS water.
Our body needs some essential minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, etc for body growth as water with low TDS lacks essential minerals but you can fulfill the mineral required for body growth by eating normal foods.
How to know TDS of water At Home
An easy way to find out the TDS level in the water is to use a Digital TDS meter. TDS meter is a device that is used to measure TDS in any solution, Usually, it is used to measure the level of TDS in water. You don’t need to take any reading and calculate Or a mathematical formula in a digital TDS meter to measure the TDS level of water. You get to know the level of TDS instantly. With the help of the TDS meter, you can find out the level of TDS in the water coming into your home.
TDS-Meter
You can easily get a Digital TDS meter in online digital stores in India. It is available in the online store Amazon.in and you can Buy a Digital TDS meter from amazon.in for a few hundred rupees.
Hopefully, you enjoy this post and understand some basics of TDS in water