Water quality can be measured based on the following factors;
Physical – temperature, light, colour, sediment suspended in the water
Chemical – acidity (pH), dissolved oxygen, salinity, nutrients and other contaminants.
Biological – bacteria and algaeMonitoring provides the objective evidence required to make decisions on managing water quality today and in the future.
Water quality monitoring is key to determining deterioration and manage developing issues before they become a full blown crisis, as well as determining compliance with drinking water standards.
The most important tests used in water quality monitoring in small communities are those for microbiological quality (by the measurement of bacteria), turbidity, pH where chlorination is used. In case of borewell water hardness which is the amount of dissolved minerals in water largely consisting of calcium and magnesium in the water.