Turbidity Sensors and Transmitters

Turbidity Sensors and Transmitters

Turbidity sensors and transmitters measure light scattering caused by suspended particles to quantify water clarity and solids behavior. They are used for continuous monitoring in drinking water and wastewater processes, as well as in environmental surface waters, providing immediate feedback on filtration performance, settling behavior, and process upsets that drive particulate breakthrough.

Continuous turbidity measurement improves both compliance confidence and chemical efficiency. Endress+Hauser highlights turbidity as a lever to avoid overdosing precipitation agents and polymer coagulants, reducing operating cost while maintaining treatment outcomes. Stable turbidity data also supports early warning for filter degradation, clarifier carryover, and disturbance events that would otherwise be recognized only after downstream sampling or customer impact.

Sensor selection is determined by the monitoring objective and installation environment. For filter monitoring, forward scattered light methods with narrow measuring ranges are used to achieve high precision and fast detection of filter breaks. For basin or open-channel applications where fouling is likely, sensors with mechanical cleaning options are used to preserve optical surfaces and maintain signal quality over extended runs. Matching optics, range, and cleaning strategy to particle size distribution and solids loading is essential for stable interpretation.

Transmitters provide signal conditioning, temperature handling (as applicable), diagnostics, and integration to control and SCADA architectures. Multi-parameter transmitter platforms can consolidate turbidity with complementary measurements such as pH, conductivity, oxygen, and disinfectant residuals, enabling correlation between particulate behavior and chemical/biological control actions. Mechanical installation (immersion, flow-through, or basin mounting) should preserve representative flow and avoid air entrainment artifacts.

Typical applications include filter effluent monitoring in drinking water plants, raw water quality tracking in rivers and lakes, clarification and settling basin monitoring, polymer/coagulant optimization, wastewater secondary effluent verification, storm-event response monitoring, and process-water quality surveillance where suspended solids behavior influences downstream treatment, reuse suitability, or discharge limits.

Miller Mechanical Specialties, an exclusive authorized representative of sales and service for Endress+Hauser.