Water, one of the world’s most precious resources, requires safeguarding from contaminants, toxins and pollutants. Demands for fresh water are growing exponentially as the population of Earth rapidly approaches 8 billion people.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), only 2.5 percent of the planet’s total water is fresh. Of that amount, only 1.2 percent is surface water, and 69 percent of that amount is ground ice or permafrost. Another way to think of this is that about 1/150 of 1 percent of all water on Earth is available in rivers, lakes and reservoirs.

Turner Designs Hydrocarbon Instruments (TDHI) has developed analyzers and monitors for the detection and measurement of oil in water since 2002. In addition to TDHI’s line of UV fluorescence-based oil content monitors, the company recently introduced a monitor for measuring chlorophyll-a content in sea water desalination processes.

Chlorophyll-a content is a reliable indicator of algae blooms, which are detrimental to the efficacy of the membranes used for desalination. With continual new demands on fresh water resources, desalination efforts will grow in importance, and TDHI remains committed to providing accurate, reliable monitors for municipal and industrial fresh water needs.

The conservation and reuse of process water will also grow with the scarcity of fresh water. TDHI offers a range of products for applications requiring critical measurements, such as leak detection in cooling water, raw water intake monitoring, produced water treatment, waste water treatment, crop irrigation, industrial and bilge water discharge, as well as sea water desalination.

This Earth Day, or any other day, pause to consider the steps already taken to protect our streams, lakes, aquifers and oceans and the many more steps that will be required to ensure the perpetuation of our planet’s multitude of ecosystems. TDHI is proud to play a part in the protection of precious resources.