Total Suspended Solids (TSS)

Overview

Total suspended solids measures the actual mass of particles held in the water column — silt, clay, organic debris, and algae. The sample is filtered, the filter is dried, and the residue is weighed. It is a direct, quantitative answer to the question of how much material is in your water, and it is the standard measurement for sediment and erosion problems. Method SM 2540 D; MDL 0.2 ppm, RL 0.2 ppm.

What problem does this solve for our lake?

Cloudy water has two very different causes and they call for opposite responses. If the cloudiness is algae, you have a nutrient problem and you manage nutrients. If it is suspended sediment, you have an erosion or runoff problem and you manage the shoreline and watershed. TSS is how you tell them apart, particularly when read alongside chlorophyll-a: high TSS with low chlorophyll-a means sediment, high TSS with high chlorophyll-a means algae. Suspended sediment causes real damage independent of nutrients. It blocks the light aquatic plants need, smothers fish spawning beds and benthic habitat, abrades gills, and carries attached phosphorus and metals into the lake — sediment is a nutrient delivery vehicle as well as a pollutant. It also fills the lake in, which is the slow structural problem behind most dredging projects. Common sources are construction sites, agricultural fields, unstabilized shoreline, road ditches, stream inflows during storms, and boat wakes in shallow water. TSS sampled at inflows versus mid-lake is the standard way to locate them.

What's included?

• A complete Total Suspended Solids test kit shipped directly to you
• All materials required for clean, contamination-free sample collection
• Step-by-step collection and preservation instructions
• Prepaid 2-day return shipping to our certified partner laboratory
• Analysis by EPA-approved methods at an accredited partner laboratory, with full chain of custody
• Results loaded automatically into your lake's account

What's not included

• Sample collection. You collect the sample; we supply everything you need to do it correctly.
• Boat, dock, or shoreline access to your sampling site
• Depth-profile sampling. This is a single grab sample unless you order multiple kits.
• Ice or a cooler for shipping, which you supply
• Treatment, remediation, or applicator services
• A written management plan. The Boathouse can help you interpret results and decide next steps.
• Turbidity (EPA 180.1, NTU), the optical measure of how those particles affect clarity. For both, order the TSS & Turbidity Test.
• Particle composition. TSS tells you how much, not what it is made of.
• Secchi depth, which is a field measurement

Requirements

• A well-mixed sample collected without disturbing bottom sediment
• Same-day shipment after collection, kept cold
• For source identification, samples from multiple sites collected the same day — typically an inflow, a mid-lake reference, and any site of concern
• A Plus, Lake Admin, or PRO subscription to have results loaded into your Lake Pulse account
• Questions about site selection, timing, or which test fits your lake? Contact the Lake Pulse Boathouse before you order.