When salts dissolve into water, free ions are created. These ions are able to conduct an electrical current. Examples of dissolved salts that can be found in water, and that lower the resistivity of water, are: calcium, chloride, magnesium, potassium, and, of course, sodium. The table below shows some example levels of resistivity for different types of water.

Using the Aquaread RES sensor is very simple. As soon as the probe is lowered into the body of water the Aquaprobe will begin taking readings every 2 seconds. The reading for RES can be viewed on the Aquameter using the right button. There is no need to calibrate the RES parameter, this is all taken care of when calibrating electrical conductivity (EC)

A water resistivity meter is a useful tool for resistivity testing. Resistivity is a vital measure when ultra pure water is required, for example for use in a growing number of laboratory and industrial processes. Out in the field, a water resistivity sensor is used as part of the water quality testing process, alongside other parameters such as dissolved oxygen and pH. Monitoring resistivity in water can also be used for testing groundwater, to check for contamination from landfill leachate, for example, or to investigate contamination in lakes, rivers and tidal estuaries.

Once you have been monitoring resistivity in water for a while it is possible to build up an understanding of the normal range of resistivity in a particular body of water. Using this knowledge can assist in the identification of anomalies, that may represent a pollutant entering the water. Within aquatic ecosystems each organism has a range of tolerance, and if the resistivity of the water moves outside this range it could devastate the ecosystem and take a long time to recover.