What Is Water Quality and Why Does It Matter?

Water is an essential part of our daily lives—we drink it, use it to cook food, clean things with it, use it for agriculture, and it is also an important part of sanitation. However, the water used for all of these different needs varies in many different ways, including in quality. So, what is water quality and why does it matter?

What Is Water Quality?

Water quality is a phrase that is used to describe the condition of water, like its physical, chemical, and biological characteristics. The quality of water is usually noted in relation to how suitable it is for a specific purpose—like drinking, washing, cooking, and swimming.

There are several factors used to measure water quality, including:

• Bacteria levels
• The concentration of dissolved oxygen
• Salinity—the amount of salt
• Turbidity—the amount of material suspended in the water that impacts clarity
• The levels of contaminants—like arsenic, lead, PFAS chemicals, and more

Why Is Water Quality Important?

Water quality is important because knowing the level of quality will determine what you are able to safely do with the water. There are certain water quality standards—especially for drinking water—so if the quality of water is not up to those standards, then it should not be used for drinking. These standards can vary depending on where you live, so it’s not always easy to know whether your drinking water is safe or not.

While the United States has one of the safest water supplies in the world, there are still many instances of contamination and unsafe drinking water across the country—two signs of low water quality.

In order to make sure you and your loved ones avoid unsafe drinking water, consider using a water filter with activated carbon. At Aqua Clara, we provide access to clean water by designing, developing, and disseminating clean water technologies to benefit those who live on less than $2 per day.

We also aim to provide safe drinking water by offering our Universal Cartridge Filter, which reduces many different contaminants. You can purchase a filter directly from our website, or they are also now available at Wal-Mart. 

Our Universal Cartridge Filter fits most household filter products, includes a rubber seal to protect against contamination, and will purify your home's drinking water at a reasonable price. The proceeds from these filters help fund our projects all over the world, so consider helping us make a difference by purchasing a filter today!

About Aqua Clara International

Scientists long ago discovered how to purify unsafe water. To us, the central issue has been in designing solutions that are both sustainable and scalable and that can reach the millions in need while at the same time continuing to function without sustained outside input. Our target populations are those individuals and families who live on $2 per day or less.

We are a technology transfer organization. Our niche in clean water continues to be in designing science-based technologies that utilize locally available materials where possible and then transferring what we learn to those working in areas of need. The cost of our technologies varies by country and is dependent on the prevailing costs of raw materials, such as plastic containers, PVC piping, sand, etc. Learn more by visiting our website.