Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality: Guideline Technical Document – Turbidity

Table of Contents

• Part I: Overview and Application
  • 1.0 Guideline
  • 2.0 Executive summary
    • 2.1 Health effects
    • 2.2 Treatment and distribution
  • 3.0 Application of the guideline
    • 3.1 System-specific guidance
      • 3.1.1 Pathogen Removal
        • 3.1.1.1 Interpretation of the guideline
        • 3.1.1.2 Conventional and direct filtration
        • 3.1.1.3 Slow sand and diatomaceous earth filtration
        • 3.1.1.4 Membrane filtration
      • 3.1.2 Other systems
      • 3.1.3 Groundwater
    • 3.2 Distribution system
    • 3.3 Monitoring turbidity levels
      • 3.3.1 Monitoring turbidity of source water
      • 3.3.2 Monitoring turbidity in treatment systems
      • 3.3.3 Monitoring turbidity within treated water storage and distribution systems
    • 3.4 Use of alternative filtration technology in drinking water systems
    • 3.5 Considerations for exempting drinking water systems from filtration   requirements
• Part II. Science and Technical Considerations
  • 4.0 Identity and sources in the environment
    • 4.1 Description of turbidity
    • 4.2 Sources
  • 5.0 Analytical methods
    • 5.1 Instrumentation
    • 5.2 Instrument performance
      • 5.2.1 Sensitivity
      • 5.2.2 Performance
    • 5.3 Quality assurance/quality control
    • 5.4 Particle counting
  • 6.0 Treatment technology
    • 6.1 Conventional and direct filtration
      • 6.1.1 Turbidity of conventional and direct filtration effluent
      • 6.1.2 Factors affecting conventional and direct filtration effluent turbidity
      • 6.1.3 Optimization of conventional and direct filtration
    • 6.2 Slow sand filtration
      • 6.2.1 Turbidity of slow sand filtration effluent
      • 6.2.2 Factors affecting slow sand filtration effluent turbidity
    • 6.3 Diatomaceous earth filtration
      • 6.3.1 Turbidity of diatomaceous earth filtration effluent
      • 6.3.2 Factors affecting diatomaceous earth filtration effluent turbidity
    • 6.4 Membrane filtration
      • 6.4.1 Turbidity of membrane filtration effluent
      • 6.4.2 Factors affecting membrane filtration effluent turbidity
    • 6.5 Other technologies
      • 6.5.1 Bag and cartridge filtration
      • 6.5.2 Additional strategies
    • 6.6 Residential-scale treatment
  • 7.0 Relationship between turbidity and water quality characteristics
    • 7.1 Microbiological characteristics
      • 7.1.1 Relationship between turbidity and the presence of microorganisms
      • 7.1.2 Relationship between turbidity reduction and microorganism removal in treated water
        • 7.1.2.1 Conventional filtration
        • 7.1.2.2 Direct filtration
        • 7.1.2.3 Slow sand filtration
        • 7.1.2.4 Diatomaceous earth filtration
        • 7.1.2.5 Bag and cartridge filtration
        • 7.1.2.6 Membrane filtration
      • 7.1.3 Optimized filtration
      • 7.1.4 Log removal credits
      • 7.1.5 Effect of turbidity on disinfection
      • 7.1.6 Effect of turbidity on microbiological testing
    • 7.2 Chemical characteristics
    • 7.3 Physical characteristics
  • 8.0 Health considerations
    • 8.1 Microbial
    • 8.2 Chemical
  • 9.0 Distribution System
  • 10.0 Rationale
  • 11.0 References
• Appendix A: List of acronyms
• Appendix B: Log removal credits
  • Cryptosporidium removal credits
  • Giardia and virus removal credits
  • Challenge testing
• Appendix C: Guidance for achieving turbidity targets

Tables

• Table 1: Turbidity type and implications for water quality and water treatment
• Table 2: Some common sources of turbidity within the drinking water supply chain
• Table 3: Recognized analytical methods for measuring turbidity in drinking water
• Table B.1: Cryptosporidium, Giardia and virus average removal credits for various treatment technologies meeting the turbidity values specified in the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality