Service:
Water Quality & Sediment Testing
Water Quality Testing
Water quality testing measures the physical, chemical, and biological traits of a lake’s water. Water quality testing is like a health check-up for the lake. Results help diagnose issues and track improvements over time.
Water quality testing results help:
- Detect pollution early – Identifies problems such as nutrient runoff, septic systems leaks, or other pollutants.
- Guides management decisions – Data helps determine best next steps to help improve or protect your lake.
- Track changes over time – Monitoring trends shows whether the lake’s condition is improving or declining.
Water quality testing is like a health check-up for the lake.
Sediment Testing
Sediment testing, on the other hand, looks at what’s happening at the bottom of the lake.
Sediments act like a long-term memory bank for the lake — they store nutrients, metals, and organic matter that have been built-up over many years.
Sediment testing shows:
- The types of nutrients being stored in the sediment.
- The nutrients, especially phosphorus, being released back into the water and used as a food source by algae and aquatic plants.
- Whether nutrients are accumulating over time.
A Deep Dive Into Water Quality Testing
Testing often includes checking parameters such as:
- Nutrients (like phosphorus and nitrogen) – too much can cause algae blooms.
- Dissolved oxygen – needed for fish and other aquatic organisms.
- pH and temperature – affect how nutrients and metals behave in the water.
- Turbidity (clarity) – shows how much sediment or algae are present in the water.
- Metals or pollutants – reveal contamination from runoff or human activity.
- Conductivity –measures the amount of dissolved salts and minerals, serving as a general measure of water quality and identifying sources of pollution.
- Chlorides – at normal levels chloride is not toxic to aquatic life, but it may become toxic at higher concentrations.
- Total Suspended Solids (TSS) – shows the amount of particles like soil, algae, and organic matter in the water. High TSS is an indicator of pollution.
- Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) – measures the concentration of both organic and inorganic compounds. High TDS is an indicator of pollution.
- Alkalinity– high alkalinity is often associated with high algae and aquatic plant production
What Does Water Quality & Sediment Testing Mean to You?
Residential Homeowners
A simple and affordable suite of tests once each year provides a good understanding of what is happening in your lake.
Property Managers
If you manage large sites with interconnecting ponds, monitoring key ponds (instead of all of them) for water quality parameters twice per season and sediment once each year gives your lake management vendor the data it needs to improve your site.
Large Lake Associations
You must consider the diverse needs of your constituents. ILM uses continuous sensing devices that stay in the lake throughout the season to collect data made available to all lake users from a water quality dashboard. Sediment samples collected from multiple lake bottom locations provide the most accurate insight into what has accumulated over time.
Contact ILM Today to Learn More About
Water Quality & Sediment Testing.
ILM staff are experts in water quality and sediment testing. Specialized sampling techniques and the use of certified laboratories ensure the most accurate data possible. Click on the button below to get started!