Turbidity and Chlorine Portable Meter

This Hanna Instruments turbidity meter measures turbidity and chlorine on one portable instrument.

Why it is measured

These are the two numbers a drinking water operator is asked for most often, and they are linked: turbidity shelters organisms from chlorine, so a good chlorine residual in turbid water does not mean what it means in clear water.

Where it is used

• drinking water distribution
• small water systems
• emergency and relief supply
• field compliance rounds

What turbidity actually measures

A turbidimeter shines light through a sample and measures what is scattered sideways by suspended particles. It reports how cloudy the water is, not what is in it — and cloudiness is worth measuring precisely because it hides everything else, including organisms that disinfection is supposed to reach.

Anything that scatters or absorbs light affects the result: bubbles, colour, a scratched cuvette, a fingerprint. Sample handling matters as much as the instrument.

Practical note

Run the chlorine test first: turbidity readings tolerate a delay, chlorine readings do not.

Supplied as one model.