Water Quality Issues Overview

pH

pH is a measurement of how acidic or basic water is, indicating the solubility (amount of chemicals that can be dissolved in water) and organic accessibility (amount of dissolved chemicals available to life) of chemical components in water.

Hardness

Hardness is the concentration of calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, etc., usually acquired as rainwater percolates through rock.  In most natural waters, calcium and magnesium salts contribute most of the hardness with only trace amounts of other metals.  

Nitrogen (No2 & No3)

Nitrogen is the most abundant element in Earth’s atmosphere, composing about 78% of the atmosphere. In the biotic factors (ie. living components) in any ecosystem, nitrogen serves as an essential component of amino acids, nucleic acids, proteins, chlorophyll, enzymes, and coenzymes.

Alkalinity

Alkalinity is the concentration of carbonate and bicarbonate ions, which is the capacity of water to resist changes in pH that would make the water more acidic.

orthophosphate

Similar to nitrogen, phosphorous serves as a key component of living systems, with multiple chemical forms and sources, the most common found in nature being phosphates, PO43-

Temperature

We are working tirelessly to make sure you have the best information possible. Please come back soon to see what we have been up to!