Water quality & standards

Water quality reports are written for regulators, not readers. Here is what each part actually means, and the four things people most often misread.

Boil water notices, contamination incidents and post-disaster supply. What works, what does not, and what makes things worse.

What triggers one, what to do, how long boiling needs, and the situations where boiling makes the problem worse rather than better.

Home test strips and TDS meters answer a narrow set of questions. Understanding which questions they answer — and which they only appear to — is most of the value.

Cloudiness is not a health parameter, and it is the most closely watched number in drinking water treatment. Both of those are true for the same reason.