Water Quality Monitoring

Pure water is a vital resource for human consumption as well as industrial processes.

Rapid detection of changes in water quality is critical in water delivery systems to ensure environmental preservation and consumer health.

Wastewater treatment plants monitor water quality in the effluent to assess effectiveness of treatment processes and compliance with regulatory requirements for the discharge of treated water.

Water treatment plants monitor organic matter, as excessive accumulation can cause microbial growth and affect water quality. UV photometry provides quantitative analysis of the organic content in water. By using continuous spectroscopic measurements, instead of intermittent chemical testing with grab samples, end-users can gather process information, detect issues in water quality and make the necessary process changes in real time.

Parameters used to monitor water quality in drinking water and treated wastewater typically include UV absorbance (UV254), total organic carbon (TOC), biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD). Local, state and federal regulations often require monitoring of one or more parameters for environmental, health or safety reasons. In marine applications, exhaust washwater is monitored for PAH, ballast water is monitored for microorganisms and bilge water is monitored for oil, among others.

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