Most of these readings were just barely over 0.5 NTU although we did have a couple of 1.0 NTU readings. We measure turbidity in our finished water continuously and record these readings every 4 hours every day of the year. Whatever the cause, the plant operator responds to the water quality changes by making adjustments to the chemical dose. Usually the dirtier the water, the more chemical needed. But this is not always the case.
Some experimentation is needed to ensure the appropriate dose.
Water needs to be running through the treatment plant in order to do this experimentation. Unfortunately, the plant was built with nowhere to run the finish water except to the reservoirs. If this happens long enough, such as it did last January, we can exceed our turbidity standard. We monitor it because it is a good indicator of the effectiveness of the filtration system. Turbidity has no health effects.