What Does a TDS Meter Measure?
Here’s the deal: if you’ve ever taken a sip of water in your warehouse breakroom and thought, “Why does this taste off?” – you’re not imagining it. Even crystal-clear water can be full of hidden substances that alter its taste, smell, and impact on your love for hydration. That’s where a TDS meter comes into play.
At Artesian Bottleless Water, we work with warehouses, distribution centers, medical facilities, and office buildings all across the United States, helping them understand exactly what’s in their water – and how to clean it up. One of the simplest tools we use is a TDS meter.
Let’s walk through what it measures, why it matters for your business, and how filtered water systems like ours can save you from a whole lot of hassle.
First Things First…What Is TDS?
TDS stands for Total Dissolved Solids. It’s a measurement of everything floating around in your water that isn’t H2O. These solids can include minerals, salts, metals, and even organic matter. Some contaminants are natural, while others are added during water treatment, and some come from pipes and infrastructure.
A TDS meter gives you a quick reading of how “loaded” your water is. The higher the number, the more dissolved particles are present.
So, if you’re seeing a TDS reading of 50 parts per million (ppm), your water is relatively clean. If you’re getting a reading of 400 ppm or more, your water is bringing a lot more than hydration to the table.
What Does a High TDS Reading Mean for Your Facility?
If you manage a warehouse, office, or healthcare space in Indiana, Michigan, or anywhere west of the Mississippi, you already know water quality isn’t consistent from place to place. Even within the same city, TDS levels can vary wildly. But why should you care? Because high TDS levels can quietly affect almost every part of your facility’s day-to-day operations.
Poor Taste and Odor
Let’s start with the obvious. High levels of chlorine, iron, or sulfur compounds can leave your water smelling like a swimming pool or tasting like a penny. That’s a quick way to get your team reaching for bottled water—costing you more money and generating more plastic waste.
Ice Machine and Equipment Wear
TDS isn’t just about taste. All those extra minerals and particles can build up in your ice machines, water dispensers, coffee makers, and other hydration equipment. That buildup leads to clogs, increased energy use, and costly maintenance.
Staining and Residue
In medical or office environments, you may notice chalky residue on faucets, glassware, or even sterilized instruments. That’s TDS at work. It can create hard water stains that are tough to clean and leave an unprofessional impression.
Reduced Employee Hydration
When water tastes bad or looks cloudy, your team drinks less. And when you’re running a busy warehouse, distribution center, or medical facility, that’s a safety issue. Dehydrated employees are more likely to experience fatigue, reduced focus, and even workplace injuries.
So, What’s a “Good” TDS Level?
Here’s the general rule of thumb:
- 0–50 ppm: Excellent. Clean and ideal for drinking.
- 51–150 ppm: Good. Most filtered water systems fall into this range.
- 151–300 ppm: Fair. Acceptable, but not great for taste or equipment.
- 301–500 ppm: Poor. You’ll likely notice taste issues and scaling.
- 500+ ppm: Time to take action.
In many areas, where there’s aging infrastructure or hard water problems, we routinely see TDS readings above 300. If you’re trying to run a clean, efficient operation, those numbers are worth paying attention to.
How Does Artesian Bottleless Water Help You Control TDS?
Here’s where we come in.
Our bottleless water and ice coolers use advanced multi-stage filtration to strip out all the stuff you don’t want in your water, leaving you with clean, great-tasting, low-TDS hydration at every tap. The system connects directly to your building’s water line, eliminating the need for deliveries, reducing plastic waste, and saving extra storage space for bulky jugs or bottles.
We’ll test your water, review your current setup, and recommend the right system for your needs—whether that’s a countertop unit for a medical clinic or a high-output ice-and-water combo system for a busy warehouse breakroom.
And the best part? You don’t have to worry about maintenance or filter replacements. We handle all of it, so your team gets clean water, your machines stay in top shape, and your bottom line doesn’t suffer.
Ready to Test Your Water?
A TDS meter gives you a peek behind the curtain. It shows you what’s really in your water, how clean it is, and whether your current setup is helping or hurting your business.
If your TDS reading is on the high side, don’t panic. That’s exactly what we’re here for.
At Artesian Bottleless Water, we make hydration simple, sustainable, and smart. We work with facilities just like yours across the United States, specifically in places where water quality varies but standards remain high.
If you’re looking for water that not only tastes better but also supports your equipment and helps your team stay hydrated without harming the environment, we’ve got the solution.
Contact us today at (877) 370-4999 to learn more about our bottleless water coolers, commercial ice machines, and specialty systems.
And remember: better water starts with better tools, and a partner who knows what to do with them. Let’s clean things up together.
