What is a healthy level of turbidity?
A healthy level of turbidity depends on the purposes and intended uses of the water. In general, lower turbidity values are considered healthier for drinking water, aquatic habitats, and recreational uses.
For drinking water, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a turbidity of less than 5 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) to allow efficient disinfection. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets a maximum contaminant level for turbidity in filtered water at 0.3 NTU in at least 95% of the samples each month.
For aquatic habitats and recreational uses, turbidity levels will vary depending on the type of water body, local environmental processes, and natural variability. It is crucial to maintain the water's ecological balance in these areas, which often requires monitoring turbidity levels and understanding the particular system's normal range.