Which water characteristic relates to disease-causing organisms in water?

• A. Turbidity
• B. Pathogens
• C. Hardness
• D. Dissolved Gases

Answer: (B)

Disease risk in water comes from pathogens, the microorganisms that can cause illness. If water contains pathogens, it can transmit diseases to people who drink or use it. Turbidity measures how cloudy water is due to suspended particles and can hint at possible contamination, but it doesn’t by itself indicate the presence of disease-causing organisms. Hardness relates to calcium and magnesium ions and affects taste and scaling, not disease risk. Dissolved gases involve gases like oxygen or carbon dioxide and likewise don’t indicate whether pathogens are present. So the characteristic that directly relates to disease-causing organisms in water is the presence of pathogens.