CU-521 ENVIRONMENTAL

ENGINEERING-I

Department of Civil Engineering,

ENGR. IFTIKHAR AZIM CECOS University Peshawar
 EXPERIMENT #3
To determine the turbidity of a sample of water.

Prepared by:
Engr.Iftikhar
 Turbidity

 It is defined as a measure of visible

materials in suspension in water
 Turbidity is not a direct quantitative
measure of suspended solids but the
turbidity test is actually the relative
clarity of water
 Turbidity mostly occur in Surface Water
 Causes of Turbidity
 Turbidity in drinking water can be naturally
occurring. It is caused by matter such as;
 Silt, sand and mud
 Organic and inorganic matter
 Bacteria and other germs
 Chemical precipitates

 A clear mountain stream might have a turbidity of around 1

NTU whereas large river like River Kabul has turbidity of 774
NTU. (Source: Pakistan Council of Research in Water
Resources)
 Why we measure
turbidity??
 During the rainy season when mud and
silt are washed into rivers and streams,
high turbidity can quickly block filters
and stop them from working effectively.
 High turbidity will also fill tanks and
pipes with mud and silt, and can
damage valves and taps.
 Where chlorination of water is
practiced, even quite low turbidity will
prevent the chlorine killing the germs in
the water efficiently.
 Continued…

 Turbidity is an important indicator of the

amount of suspended sediments in water,
which can have many negative effects on the
aquatic life. It can block the sunlight which
slows down photosynthesis and hence plant
dies, reducing the amount of dissolved oxygen
and increasing the acidity, both of which are
harmful for aquatic animals
 Determination of turbidity is a common
component of water quality assessment
 Standard guidelines for
Turbidity

 WHO suggests that water intended for

drinking should have turbidity level <
5 NTU (for developing countries)
 European Union (EU) Standards = 1
NTU
 While in United States, < 1 NTU is
recommended for drinking purposes
 Units for Measurement of Turbidity:

 The unit used to express turbidity

depends upon the method used for its
evaluation:
 Standard Turbidity Unit (mg/l, ppm)
 Jackson Turbidity Unit (JTU)
 Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU)
 Measurement of

Turbidity
The stepwise procedure is as follows:

 Switch on the power supply and check the battery of

turbidity meter.
 Now we have to calibrate the turbidity meter, for this
purpose test tube containing distilled water in the test tube
holder and close the test tube holder cover. Make sure that
the mark on the test tube coincides with mark on panel.
 Now standard Formazine solution of known turbidity is
placed in the path of light rays and the scale is brought to
the known value of the standard Formazine solution. Gently
agitate the sample and wait for the air bubbles to
disappear.
 Place the sample in turbidity meter and close the cover
 Allow the reading for a few seconds to become stabilize and
then take it.
 Precautions

 Remove all moisture from the outside of

the sample cell before placing it in the
instrument as it will effect the turbidity
measurement.
 Remove air or other entrained gases in
the sample before measurement.
 Measure turbidity immediately to prevent
temperature changes and particles
flocculation and sedimentation due to
changing sample characteristics.