Water quality refers to water sustainability for particular uses based on specific characteristics. Even though these characteristics differ, they gather under two main categories: physical and chemical. Physical features include temperature, color, light, and sediment suspended in the water. Chemical characteristics include oxygen, acidity (pH) level, salinity, nutrients, and other contaminants dissolved in the water. 

When discussing water quality, drinking water is usually the first thing that comes to people's minds. Water quality is essential for drinking water as it can pose an enormous threat to human life. However, water quality is also one of the most critical factors for a healthy ecosystem for producing and endorsing a diversity of plants and wildlife.

Water quality can only be appropriately measured in laboratory settings. To do so, water data is collected from the closest possible water source and the acidity (pH), dissolved oxygen, dissolved solids, and turbidity level in that specific water source are determined. Following the test, scientists can make informed decisions about the quality and safety of the water and the source. They can also decide that more investigations are required before a conclusion can be reached.

The most common water quality indicators are dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, salinity, and nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus). Among those, pH levels are the most well-known and used by the general public even while deciding the brand of drinking water they purchase.

"The more natural, the better" applies to water quality too. To find the best water quality, look for spring and purified water options. While spring water is naturally cleansed underground, a controlled filtration system completes purified water's purification. However, both spring and purified water options are free from impurities and contaminants.

Water quality management covers water restoration, maintenance, and quality-improving stages. The water quality management workers must control the physical, chemical, biological, and organoleptic (taste-related) properties of water to ensure that it is safe for humans, wildlife, and marine life and has no adverse environmental impacts.

As the name refers, water resource management is responsible for planning, developing, and managing water resources. Water management system’s responsibilities are not limited to water quantity but also the quality of water. Therefore, it is impossible to think about water resource management without water quality management.

Water resource management consists of four main components: stormwater management, wastewater treatment, water supply, and conservation of existing water sources.

Water management is essential not only because it works as a kind of alarm system for lowering levels of water reserves but also helps to determine future irrigation expectations and put necessary actions in place. Without water resource management systems, it would be almost impossible to predict the level of irrigation systems needed for agriculture, which could lead to serious scarcity problems. Considering water is becoming more and more precious due to the lowering level worldwide, it is time to put more emphasis on water resource management systems more than ever to prevent overuse that might lead to droughts.

Regardless of the industry your business is in, we all rely on water at some level. The reliance is much higher if you are working in the food or agriculture industry. However, water levels also affect your business if you are in resource extraction (mining), energy, manufacturing, tourism, and pharmaceuticals. We need water for growing our food and ensuring that we have a certain level of hygiene to avoid contamination and allow for the safety of ourselves and others.

Water is at the heart of our lives. For this reason, companies and individuals should gain awareness of their water usage and take necessary actions to lower it. If you are running a business and want to reduce your water use and are not sure where to start, Intengine is the right place to be. Intengine can help you with the list of companies in its portfolio. On Integine's directory, you can find various experts that can run water usage audits for your company and assist you with water management strategies.