Parameter: Sp_Cond

Electrical conductivity is a measure of a water’s ability to conduct electricity, and therefore a measure of the water’s ionic activity and content. The higher the concentration of ionic (dissolved) constituents, the higher the conductivity. Conductivity of the same water changes substantially as its temperature changes. This can have a confounding effect on attempts to compare this feature across different waters, or seasonal changes in this parameter for a particular body of water. The use of specific conductance [SC; units of microSiemens per centimeter (µS·cm-1) or miliSiemens per centimeter (mS·cm-1], the conductivity normalized to temperature of 25 ºC, eliminates this complication and allows valuable comparisons to be made.