To read a borehole water test report before buying RO equipment, first confirm where and when the sample was collected. Then check the units, distinguish measured results from reference limits, and review whether the report contains enough information for treatment design.
You do not need to become a water chemist. You do need to recognize what the report establishes, what remains unknown, and which questions the supplier should resolve before recommending equipment.
Start with the Sample Details
Check the sample identification, collection date, sampling location, and laboratory notes. Confirm that the report belongs to the borehole you plan to use.
“Borehole water” may describe a sample taken directly from the source, from a storage tank, or after existing treatment. Those locations can give different results and support different conclusions.
Tell the supplier about any filtration, chlorination, or other treatment before the sampling point. Where several boreholes or tanks are involved, label each report clearly rather than combining the results into one assumed source.
Also explain known changes after rainfall, long pumping periods, or source switching. One report describes the sampled water at that time; it does not prove that every future operating condition will be identical.
Read the Units Before Comparing Numbers
A number without its unit can be misleading. Conductivity is commonly reported in µS/cm or mS/cm, while dissolved constituents are often reported in mg/L or µg/L.
For example, 2.0 mS/cm equals 2,000 µS/cm. That is a unit conversion, not a conversion to 2,000 mg/L TDS. Conductivity and TDS are related, but they are different measurements.
Check the reporting basis as well. Total hardness expressed in mg/L as CaCO3 is not the same quantity as calcium expressed in mg/L. Do not add hardness, calcium, and magnesium together as if they were three independent salt concentrations.
Some parameters can be reported on different chemical bases. Ask the laboratory or designer to resolve unclear labels instead of copying a number into a calculation without its full description.
Separate Test Results from Reference Limits
Reports may place a measured result beside a guideline value or regulatory limit. Make sure the supplier receives the actual result, not the adjacent reference number.
Read symbols and footnotes carefully. A result shown as “less than” a reporting limit is not an exact zero. A blank entry may mean the parameter was not tested, not that it was absent.
A report marked acceptable for one purpose is not automatically complete for RO design. Conversely, a value above a particular drinking-water reference does not, by itself, identify the complete treatment process required.
The designer needs both the incoming-water information and the finished-water target. These answer different questions.
Read the Results as Groups, Not Isolated Pass-or-Fail Values
Conductivity, TDS, and major ions: these help characterize dissolved salts. The ionic composition matters when assessing membrane performance and concentrate chemistry.
Calcium, magnesium, hardness, alkalinity, sulfate, and silica: these contribute to understanding scaling risks. One hardness result alone does not establish a suitable recovery rate or scale-control method.
Iron, manganese, and turbidity: these help identify pretreatment questions. Ask whether the reported metals are total or dissolved where that distinction affects the assessment.
Microbiological results: these address a different part of water quality from dissolved salts. A chemical analysis does not establish microbial safety, and a microbiological report does not supply the chemistry needed for membrane selection.
The useful outcome is a list of treatment duties and unresolved questions, rather than a machine selected from whichever result looks highest.
Check What Is Missing Before Finalizing Equipment
A short report containing pH, TDS, and hardness may support an initial discussion but leave important design information unresolved.
Ask the supplier to identify missing parameters and explain why they matter. The designer may also check the consistency of the ionic analysis, including charge balance, before using it for a performance projection.
Where results appear inconsistent, return to the laboratory for clarification or further testing. Do not invent missing ion concentrations or combine unrelated samples simply to produce a complete-looking design input.
Additional testing should follow the source, intended use, and design questions. For a starting checklist, see what water tests are needed before buying an RO system.
Send the Complete Report with Your Operating Requirements
Share all report pages, including units, methods, and laboratory notes. A clear PDF or full-page scan is more useful than a cropped photograph of selected results.
Add the intended water use, required daily volume, operating hours, known temperature range, electrical supply, and existing treatment arrangement. The report alone cannot determine the complete installation.
Ask the supplier to distinguish confirmed inputs, assumptions, and information still needed. The proposed treatment should explain how the analysis informed pretreatment, membrane selection, recovery, and expected finished-water quality.
Before proceeding, resolve three questions: Does this sample represent the water the equipment will receive? Are the units and reporting bases understood? Is the information sufficient to support the proposed performance?
Contact AquaOxy with your complete borehole water test report and operating requirements. We can review the information, identify gaps relevant to selection, and discuss the next steps toward an appropriate treatment proposal.
