Your TDS number looks high.
Here's why that barely matters.
You commented TDS and saw the number. Three ways forward — pick yours. (And below: why that number alone can't be trusted.)
Check it yourself
Start with your own meter to see your baseline number. Cheap, fast, and a fine first step — just remember it only gives you the total.
- Reading in seconds
- Good for tracking changes over time
- Shows the total, not the breakdown
A home meter gives the total only — not a certified lab result, and it can't break the number down.
Get the right filter
If you'd rather solve it directly, the right system depends on where you want clean water — just the tap you drink from, or the whole house. Two questions and we'll point you to the right one.
- Matched to your home and water
- RO for drinking, UV for whole-house
- Backed by AquaStandard
Send it to a lab
The only way to actually break the number down into what's dissolved. If your TDS is high and you want certainty, this is the real answer.
- Full breakdown of what's inside
- Certified, citable results
- Tells harmless minerals from heavy metals
TDS = everything dissolved, added into one lump sum.
Total Dissolved Solids is exactly that — a total. It bundles together everything floating invisibly in your water and reports one figure. Some of what's in that figure is harmless, even good for you. Some of it isn't. The meter weighs them all the same.
A glass full of healthy minerals and a glass laced with heavy metals can show the identical TDS number. That's why the reading alone can't tell you how risky your water is — only a proper breakdown can.
The same number can hide something nasty.
Two glasses. Identical TDS reading. One is harmless — the other is quietly loaded with heavy metals. Flip between them and watch the truth your meter will never show you.
Identical number on the meter. Your TDS meter shows this and stops. It can't see the difference below.
This is the whole point: TDS tells you how much is dissolved, never what. Judging risk by the number alone is how you get scammed — in both directions.
Nobody treats TDS as a health limit.
Here's the part that surprises people: no major authority sets a TDS health cap. Tap each one to see where it actually stands.
Imagine never having to wonder again.
Picture pouring a glass for your kid without that little pause in the back of your mind. No guessing, no scary meter number running your day. Just water you actually trust — and quiet confidence every time you turn on the tap. That feeling is one step away.
AquaStandard
Filter recommendations here are backed by AquaStandard — expert water filtration in Armenia since 2009. They exclusively represent leading European brands, with engineers trained in Europe and deep, specialized knowledge in filtration. The kind of quality you want behind something running in your home every day.
Visit AquaStandard →Quick answers
What is TDS in water?
TDS stands for Total Dissolved Solids — the combined total of everything dissolved in your water: minerals, salts, nutrients, metals, heavy metals, and organic matter. A TDS meter adds it all into one number, but it can't tell you what that number is made of.
Is a high TDS reading dangerous?
Not necessarily. A high TDS number can come from harmless minerals or from harmful heavy metals — the meter can't tell the difference. Two samples with the exact same TDS can be perfectly fine or genuinely harmful. The number alone doesn't decide it.
What TDS level is acceptable?
In Armenia, up to 1000 mg/L is the maximum allowed, with around 500 mg/L generally considered acceptable. The US EPA sets 500 mg/L as a secondary, taste-based guideline. But because TDS bundles harmless and harmful substances together, the level matters far less than what's actually in the water.
How accurate is a home TDS meter compared to a lab test?
A home TDS meter gives a fast, useful total, but it isn't a certified lab result — and it can't break the number down into what's actually dissolved. Only a lab panel can tell you whether that TDS is harmless minerals or something you need to remove.
Why trust this? I'm testing tap water across every marz in Armenia, publicly, and comparing results against Armenian, EU, and WHO standards. Risk assessments stay free, always. I only recommend what I'd actually use myself.