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Water conductivity is defined as waters ability to conduct electricity. 

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Water conductivity is defined as waters ability to conduct electricity. 

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Distilled water is water in its purest form.  There are no other molecules or substances in it.

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Ions are elements with electrical charges.

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A substance that allows an electrical current to flow through it.

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Resistance and Conductivity are mathematically reciprocals which causes the units to be opposites. Resistance's units is ohms and Conductivity's unit is mho which is ohm backwards.

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A person who studies the properties, distribution, and effects of water on the Earth's surface, in the soil, and in the atmosphere

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Waters high in dissolved solids causes problems with industrial equipment and boilers as well as domestic plumbing, hot water heaters, toilet flushing mechanisms, faucets, and washing machines and dishwashers.  Can cause elimination of desirable food plants and habitat-forming plant species. Agricultural uses of water for livestock watering are limited by excessive dissolved solids and high dissolved solids can be a problem in water used for irrigation.

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If the water conductivity level is too low the water could be low in minerals and salts.  This could effect the diets of animals in the ecosystem who drink from the water and eat plants that grow in it.  These levels could also determine what animals and plants can survive in the ecosystem.

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Humans affect the conductivity of the water when they salt their driveways, parking lots, sidewalks, and or porches. This salt will ultimately end up in a body of water and when the ions from the salt enter they can cause the water to increase it’s ability to conduct an electric current.

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Pollution is a big problem for water sources. Waste is dumped into the water and harms the ecosystem. Animals could eat the pollutants and plants can die from absorbing the chemicals. TDS is raised from pollution because unnatural particles are added to the water source.

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The unit of measurement for conductivity is expressed in either microSiemens (uS/cm) or micromhos (umho/cm) which is the reciprocal of the unit of resistance, the ohm. The prefix "micro" means that it is measured in millionths of a mho. MicroSiemens and micromhos are equivalent units.

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Conductivity or specific conductance is the measure of the water's ability to conduct an electric current. Conductivity depends upon the number of ions or charged particles in the water. The ease or difficulty of the flow of electrical current through liquids makes it possible to divide them into two broad categories: electrolytes and nonelectrolytes. Electricity passes easily through water that is high in electrolytes or ions, and poorly through low electrolyte materials such as pure water or many organic solvents such as alcohol or oil. The opposition to the flow of electricity is called resistance and it is measured in units called ohms. Substances with low resistance and high conductivity pass electricity easily.
How is conductivity measured?
A conductivity meter is used to measure the ability of the water sample to conduct electricity. The specific conductance is measured by passing a current between two electrodes (one centimeter apart) that are placed into a sample of water. The unit of measurement for conductivity is expressed in either microSiemens (uS/cm) or micromhos (umho/cm) which is the reciprocal of the unit of resistance, the ohm. The prefix "micro" means that it is measured in millionths of a mho. MicroSiemens and micromhos are equivalent units. Distilled water has a range of conductivity from 0.5 to 2 uS/cm. Drinking water is generally between 50 to 1500 uS/cm and domestic wastewater may have conductivities above 10,000 uS/cm. The warmer the water, the higher the conductivity with an increase of about 1.9% per Celsius degree. Conductivity is reported at standard temperature of 25.0° C.
What is the significance of conductivity?
Conductivity determinations are useful in aquatic studies because they provide an estimate of dissolved ionic matter in the water. Low values of specific conductance are characteristic of high-quality, oligotrophic (low nutrient) lake waters. High values of specific conductance are observed in eutrophic lakes where plant nutrients (fertilizer) are in greater abundance. Very high values are good indicators of possible pollution sites. For instance, industrial discharges, road salt, and failing septic tanks can raise conductivity. A sudden change in conductivity can indicate a direct discharge or other source of pollution into the water.

Conductivity readings do not provide information the specific ionic composition and concentrations. Water, itself, contains hydrogen (H+) and hydroxide ions (OH-) with relative amounts reflected in the pH readings. Chloride, phosphate, sulfate, and nitrate anions (negative ions) as well as calcium, magnesium, iron, aluminum, and sodium cations (positive ions) contribute to overall conductivity as well.

Lakes and rivers vary in conductivity based on the geology of an area. Water bodies underlain by granite have lower conductivity than those areas of clay soils. Conductivity in rivers in the United States range from 50 to 1,500 uS/cm, and measurements taken in waters sampled the GVSU vessels usually range from 110 to 600 uS/cm.

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Robert B. Annis Water Resources Institute (AWRI) - Education & Outreach

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Conductivity or specific conductance is the measure of the water's ability to conduct an electric current. Conductivity depends upon the number of ions or charged particles in the water. The ease or difficulty of the flow of electrical current through liquids makes it possible to divide them into two broad categories: electrolytes and nonelectrolytes.

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Distilled water has a conductivity in the range of 0.5 to 3 µmhos/cm. The conductivity of rivers in the United States generally ranges from 50 to 1,500 µmhos/cm.  Sea water has an average concentration of 5,000  µmhos/cm.

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5.9 Conductivity | Monitoring & Assessment | US EPA

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Studies of inland fresh waters indicate that streams supporting good mixed fisheries have a range between 150 and 500 µhos/cm. Conductivity outside this range could indicate that the water is not suitable for certain species of fish or macroinvertebrates. Industrial waters can range as high as 10,000 µmhos/cm. Attached is a study from Dartmouth that analyzes the impact of water conductivity on stream environments and the animals within them.

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Background.� Conductivity, a meaure of electrical current flow through a solution, is expressed in units of microSiemens ( uS).�Conductivity is the reciprocal of electrical resistance (ohms).� Because conductivity increases nearly linearly with increasing ion concentration, we can use conductivity measurements to estimate ion concentrations in solutions.� Seawater conductivity is approximately

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The percentage of salt in water.

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starTo form, arrange, or deposit in layers. A layer configuration.

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The amount of material (inorganic salts and small amounts of organic material) dissolved in water.

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Minerals that water picks up as it passes through the air, over and under the ground, or from households and industry

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A measure of the electrical current carrying capacity, in mhos/cm, of 1 cm3 or water at 25° C. Dissolved substances in water dissociate into ions with the ability to conduct electrical current. Conductivity is a measure of how salty water is; salty water has high conductivity.

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This diagram shows the range of conductivity for different water sources.