7/31/2024

It is important in today’s world to ensure that you are consuming safe and clear water. We often receive water containing harmful chemicals from water treatment plants that remove the natural minerals from the water required for health. There are many ways to test the quality of the water, but the most common way to do so is by measuring its Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) levels. In this blog, we will understand TDS in-depth and safe TDS levels for drinking water. What is TDS and what does it indicate about water quality? Water usually passes through different surfaces including stones and pipes before it reaches our home. This paves the way for some harmful and unwanted particles like metals, salt, sulphur, minerals, etc. to get dissolved in the water. Even though some of these particles can be healthy for consumption, having a high TDS level can mean that there are some harmful chemicals in the water as well as bad taste. Explanation of how TDS is measured and its implications We can measure the TDS level of water in multiple ways. Some of them are: Using a TDS meter: High TDS in water can mean that it is contaminated with ions, a group of atoms that can have a positive or negative electric charge. Because of that, we need a metallic device to measure the conductivity of water. This is where a TDS meter comes in. It is a small device with metal probes that release electric current in the water and generate a reading. Using filtration technique: This technique involves weighing the residue after using filter paper to collect residue from the water by passing it through. Then, the TDS level is calculated using the formula: TDS level = (Final weight – empty evaporating dish weight) x 1000. By a conductivity meter: Water with high ions means that it is electrically charged. A conductivity meter tests the resistance of water to conduct electricity. If there is low resistance, it means that the water has high TDS. Standard TDS Level for Drinking Water in India According to the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), an acceptable TDS level for drinking water is 500 ppm. However, the World Health Organization recommends a TDS level of less than 300 mg/L for drinking water. In any case, it is safe to consider 50 ppm as the minimum TDS level for drinking water, as anything below that would mean that the water doesn’t contain any essential minerals. What is considered a safe TDS range for drinking water? According to the TDS chart, there are levels of TDS in water that make it safe for drinking, as well as levels that are completely unacceptable for consumption. Between the two, the water varies from being slightly contaminant, causing laxative effects, to not being suitable for regular drinking. Having said this, the TDS range in water that is generally considered safe by most organisations is between 50 ppm to 500 ppm. While water below 50 ppm might not contain essential minerals, water above 500 ppm may be exceedingly contaminated and unsafe for drinking. An ideal TDS range for daily consumption of drinking water is below 500 ppm. Health implications of drinking water within this TDS range (500 ppm - 1000 ppm) Water with a TDS range of 50 ppm to 500 ppm is considered safe to drink for people, however, for people drinking water with a higher TDS, here are the health implications, Falling sick: Water with high amounts of metals like lead or copper may make you fall sick. Taste buds: Water is not supposed to taste, but with a high TDS level, it can taste salty, metallic, or bitter. Health conditions: Water with high TDS may have high salt content, which can lead to the formation of kidney stones, and even affect cardiovascular health, leading to heart diseases. Gastrointestinal problems: High TDS might mean that the water contains too much mineral, which is not good for your stomach, as it can lead to stomach pain, nausea, and diarrhoea. How to Adjust and Control TDS Levels in Your Drinking Water With the numerous ways in which consuming water with the wrong TDS levels can affect your health, it is crucial to find ways to adjust it and make it safe for everyday use. Here are some methods: Reverse Osmosis (RO) system: This process helps you lower water TDS level for drinking water by passing it through a semipermeable membrane which has tiny holes that only allow molecules smaller than 0.0001 microns to pass through it. This is smaller than the size of salt particles, which get blocked along with other metal particles and purify the water, however, it leads to wastage of water. Distillation: In this process, you boil the water and collect its vapour to bring it back to liquid form. While boiling, the contaminants like salt particles don’t vaporize and get separated from the water. Ion Exchange: In this process, the ion-selective membranes separate the positive ions and makes it move towards the negative electrode. This ends up in a de-ionized water with high purity. However, the water is first passed through a reverse osmosis unit first in order to remove the non-ionic organic contaminants. Introduction to devices and filters that can control TDS. There are many devices and filters that can control TDS levels for drinking water, such as: TDS controller: This helps in controlling the TDS level of the water coming out of the RO since RO Membranes usually remove around 90% of dissolved solids and minerals from the water. In this case, the TDS Controller is used to increase the TDS of purified water to a healthy level. Activated Carbon filter: This traps and adsorbs impurities like dissolved minerals, organic compounds, and chlorine from the water. This removes some of the TDS in water, leading to an improvement in its taste, odor, and clarity. However, these are not as effective at removing dissolved salts and minerals as reverse osmosis or deionization systems. Conclusion Understanding what is the best TDS level for drinking water can help you identify whether or not you and your family are consuming safe drinking water. Although a specific TDS level might vary depending on individual preferences and health conditions, aiming for a TDS range between 50 ppm and 500 ppm in India offers a good balance. With the help of the processes mentioned in this blog, you can adjust the TDS level of your water for optimal health benefits and taste.