Fancy name, right? Total Dissolved Solids is just a measure of everything that’s dissolved in your water that isn’t H2O. We’re talking minerals like calcium and magnesium, salts, tiny bits of organic matter, and even a few metals.
Think of it like a soup. Your water is the broth, and TDS is all the little flavor bits floating around. Some of those bits are good (hello, healthy minerals), and some are… less good (hello, weird tap water taste).
Where Does TDS Come From?
Water is nature’s ultimate traveler. As it flows through rivers, over rocks, and through underground aquifers, it picks up souvenirs. Those souvenirs are dissolved solids—like a natural mineral hitchhiker.
Some TDS comes from the environment, like calcium from limestone. Some comes from human stuff, like pipes, runoff, or even old plumbing. So your water’s TDS is basically a scrapbook of its journey. Cute, but also a little gross.
