Contaminant

Total dissolved solids in drinking water

Also listed as TDS

Total dissolved solids: minerals and salts that affect taste and hardness, rarely a health risk.

This page can’t tell you what’s in your tap water.

Only a test of water from your own tap can. Public-system results describe the system, not your home.

01Check your water systemWater Check · system results, not your tap 02Test your tapHow to get a reliable result 03Treatment approachesWhat can reduce it at the tap

On this page · 10 sections

01Reference values
02Is it in my water?
03Where it comes from
04Testing
05Water filters
06Treatment
07Evidence
08Next steps
09Ask about total dissolved solids
10References

Reference values

No numeric reference held.

Each value says what kind of reference it is, and they mean different things. A lower or missing number never means water is safe.

No numeric reference held

WaterDecoder doesn’t hold a verified reference value for total dissolved solids in drinking water. That doesn’t mean any level is safe. It means we haven’t verified one to show you.

Is it in my water?

Only a test of your own tap can tell.

Choose what you have. We’ll show what it can and can’t tell you.

If you haven’t tested

Nobody can tell without a measurement, including us.

Three things you can do, in this order.

Test water from your tapThis is the only way to know your level. Testing guidance ↓See what your system reportsSystem results aren’t a tap measurement. Open Water Check →On a private well?Public-system reports don’t cover wells. Open Well Water →

Where it comes from

Scale and sediment buildup from mineral deposits in pipes and plumbing
Inorganic substances dissolved in source water
Blending of waters from different sources with varying mineral content

Testing

How to test your tap water for total dissolved solids

Total dissolved solids can be measured using laboratory water quality testing to confirm levels above the secondary standard of 500 mg/L.

01Use a certified labA state-certified lab, or a kit that sends samples to one.
02Follow the sampling stepsHow and when you collect the water changes the result.
03Check the reportIt should state units and the detection limit.

Certified labNot sponsored

Use a state-certified labYour state keeps a list of labs certified for drinking water.

Choosing a filter for total dissolved solids

None qualify

No products currently qualify for a total dissolved solids pick here.

Nothing in our database has a total dissolved solids claim for an exact configuration we can verify.

Find a fit in Finder Read treatment approaches

Treatment

How to reduce total dissolved solids in water

Removing total dissolved solids requires non-conventional treatments like reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, or electrodialysis to physically separate dissolved minerals from water.

How to lower TDSReverse osmosis (NSF/ANSI 58) is the only common household filter that meaningfully reduces TDS. Carbon filters barely touch it. Don’t chase a low TDS number for its own sake. Target the specific contaminants in your report instead.

Whole-house systems and point-of-use filters treat different water. A whole-house system treats water where it enters the home; a point-of-use filter treats the tap it’s installed on. Check which one a claim is for.

Evidence

What the evidence means

We keep evidence types apart. A result for one configuration never stands in for another, and we never average across types.

No product in our database holds a reduction record for total dissolved solids yet.

How we read evidence →

Next steps

Take the next step

Match a system to your homeFinder asks about your home first. It suggests total dissolved solids as a starting point, and nothing counts until you confirm it.

Ask about total dissolved solids

Still have a question?

Answers come only from WaterDecoder’s reviewed sources and show citations. Ask can’t interpret your test result or choose a product. Don’t include personal details.

AI assistant

Ask about Total dissolved solids

Answers draw on cited public-health sources and the filters certified to reduce Total dissolved solids. Every source is linked, and if the sources don’t cover a question, the answer says so.

Questions to start with

Educational information from cited sources. Not medical or professional advice.

References

Where these facts come from

Written and maintained by WaterDecoder. A review date appears only once we have confirmed one.