| #Q001 | treatment | treatment | recommended | Turbidity Reduction (ALARA) | drinking water | Although turbidity levels should be kept as low as reasonably achievable, treatment limitations are a key consideration in establishing guideline values for turbidity. | | high |
| #Q002 | operational | operational | mandatory | Turbidity Data Analysis | drinking water | Analysis needs to be conducted to determine whether further actions are needed to improve filter effluent turbidity. | When assessing whether a system's performance satisfies the HBTL in at least 95% or 99% of turbidity measurements | high |
| #Q003 | corrective_action | operational | recommended | Investigation of Filter Performance Exceedances | drinking water | Never to exceed values are also specified for each treatment process, because readings above this value suggest a significant problem with filter performance, and should be investigated and addressed immediately. | If readings are above the never to exceed value | high |
| #Q004 | operational | operational | guidance | Groundwater System Best Practices | drinking water | Best practice for these systems includes appropriate well siting, construction and maintenance, as well as monitoring source water turbidity and ensuring that turbidity levels do not interfere with the disinfection and distribution of the water supply. | For systems using a groundwater source | high |
| #Q005 | monitoring | operational | recommended | Distribution System Monitoring | drinking water | All drinking water systems should monitor and control turbidity throughout the entire distribution system including areas with long retention times, decreased disinfectant residual, or that have demonstrated deteriorating water quality. | | high |
| #Q006 | corrective_action | operational | recommended | Response to Unexpected Turbidity Increases | drinking water | If an unusual, rapid, or unexpected increase in turbidity levels does occur, the system should be inspected, the cause determined and appropriate corrective actions taken. | If an unusual, rapid, or unexpected increase in turbidity levels does occur | high |
| #Q007 | administrative | unknown | mandatory | Research Monitoring by Health Canada | drinking water | Health Canada will continue to monitor new research in this area and recommend any changes to the guideline technical document that it deems necessary. | | high |
| #Q008 | operational | treatment | recommended | Surface Water and GUDI Turbidity Target | drinking water | Systems whose source is either surface water or groundwater under the direct influence of surface water (GUDI) should strive to achieve a treated water turbidity target from individual filters or units of less than 0.1 NTU at all times. | Systems whose source is surface water or GUDI | high |
| #Q009 | operational | operational | recommended | Groundwater Turbidity Target | drinking water | For systems using a groundwater source, turbidity should generally be below 1.0 NTU. | Systems using a groundwater source | high |
| #Q010 | operational | operational | guidance | Distribution System Entry Turbidity Best Practice | drinking water | Therefore, it is considered best practice for turbidity to be below 1.0 NTU in water entering the distribution system. | Water entering the distribution system | high |
| #Q011 | treatment | treatment | recommended | Technology-Specific Turbidity Performance Targets | drinking water | Where this is not achievable, the treated water turbidity levels from individual filters or units should be less than or equal to 0.3 NTU for conventional and direct filtration; less than or equal to 1.0 NTU for slow sand or diatomaceous earth filtration; and less than or equal to 0.1 NTU for filtration systems that use membrane filtration. | Where a treated water turbidity target of less than 0.1 NTU is not achievable for SW or GUDI systems | high |
| #Q012 | administrative | operational | guidance | Acceptance of Higher Groundwater Turbidity | drinking water | In some cases, a less stringent value for turbidity may be acceptable if it is demonstrated that the system has a history of acceptable microbiological quality and that a higher turbidity value will not compromise disinfection. | For systems using a groundwater source where a history of acceptable microbiological quality is demonstrated | high |