The CAC Water Study/Action Team monitors water quality at various points in Conifer.
Total Dissolved Solids, or TDS, is a general measure of water quality, measured as salinity, in terms of total content of dissolved ions in the water. These ions can be cations: sodium (Na), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), among others; and anions: chloride (Cl), sulfate (SO4), carbonate (HCO3), among others.
These dissolved elements come from many sources. Natural sources include weathering of geologic formations at or near the surface of a watershed and wildlife.
Peter Barkmann and Roy Laws conduct water quality tests for pH and TDS
Human sources include discharge of wastewater that contains a wide variety of compounds such as human waste and cleansers, runoff from artificial surfaces, road de-icing and so forth. As the dissolved solids enter the flow of water out of a watershed, they contribute to a load of dissolved elements heading downstream in the system. This load is typically represented as pounds per day.
Water Quality Standards
Water Quality standards have been established both at the federal level and the state level for many constituents present in water. Those standards are often based on use of the water and whether the water is surface water or groundwater.
EPA has established National Primary Drinking Water Regulations that set mandatory water quality standards for drinking water contaminants. These are enforceable standards called “maximum contaminant levels” (MCLs) which are established to protect the public against consumption of drinking water contaminants that present a risk to human health.
EPA has also established National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations that set non-mandatory water quality standards for 15 contaminants. EPA does not enforce these “secondary maximum contaminant levels” (SMCLs). They are established as guidelines to assist public water systems in managing their drinking water for aesthetic considerations, such as taste, color, and odor. These contaminants are not considered to present a risk to human health at the SMCL.
The federal secondary standard for TDS in drinking water is 500 milligrams per liter (mg/L) and Colorado has set a groundwater standard of 400 mg/L.
This is a quick overview on TDS to highlight where it comes from, the effects we get from TDS and how filtration can impact the TDS in the water you drink. Parts per million (PPM) is also milligrams/liter (mg/L).
CAC Water Quality Monitoring
The CAC Water Study/Action Team monitors TDS at various points in Conifer. All readings are locations on main streams or tributaries in open channels or culverts as shown in the map below.
TDS readings on November 4, 2021
TDS measurements by the CAC team are collected with a simple hand-held meter that measures the electrical conductivity and temperature of the water and converts those values to TDS in milligrams per liter.
The readings indicate that many surface water locations have TDS levels well above the federal SMCL of 500 mg/L and the Colorado groundwater standard of 400 mg/L. The CAC team monitors this same set of locations to track trends through seasonal variations in flow conditions.
Data and interpretations on this website are presented for general information only. This is a compilation of data from multiple sources and the compilers cannot ensure accuracy. Contents are continuously updated and the compilers strive to provide the best data possible but Conifer Area Council does not assume responsibility for use by others.
