---
title: Conductivity measurement in natural waters & other liquids
description: "Conductivity measurement in liquids: Learn all about the importance of temperature compensation and the correct analysis of natural waters and special liquids."
---

[Knowledge | Articles of the competence platform STS ](https://stssensors.com/knowledge)

# [Conductivity measurement in natural waters & other liquids](https://stssensors.com/knowledge/conductivity-measurement-in-natural-waters-other-liquids)

 Written by [STS](https://stssensors.com/knowledge/author/sts) | Jun 23, 2025 1:23:37 PM

Conductivity reveals a lot about the degree of purity of a body of water - provided that temperature and substance are correctly taken into account. We show how conductivity can be reliably measured and evaluated - including temperature compensation.

Conductivity is a key measured value in the analysis of water and other liquids. However, depending on the substance and area of application, different aspects need to be taken into account - above all temperature as the biggest influencing factor.

## What does conductivity mean?

Conductivity is expressed in microsiemens per centimeter**(µS/cm**) and describes the ability of a liquid to conduct electricity. The conductance is the reciprocal of the electrical resistance. This means that the higher the conductivity, the lower the resistance - and the more dissolved ions there are in the liquid.

## Conductivity measurement in natural waters

Pure water has a very low conductivity of only around 0.055 µS/cm. Water only becomes conductive through dissolved substances such as **chlorides**, **sulphates** or **mineral salts** - to around 500 µS/cm for drinking water. Increased conductivity can indicate **contamination** and is therefore an important environmental indicator.

Typical areas of application:

- Monitoring of landfills to control groundwater
- Early detection of saltwater intrusion into wells
- Monitoring surface waters for pollution

Please note: Conductivity only provides an initial indication. For a precise analysis, additional **chemical tests** are necessary - for example for hormones or pesticides, which do not form ions and are therefore not conductive.

## Determining flow direction and speed

Another area of application is **hydraulic analysis**: the conductivity can be artificially increased by adding salt at a specific point. Point measurements along the river or canal then allow conclusions to be drawn about the direction and speed of flow.

## Influence of temperature - and why it must be compensated for

Conductivity is strongly dependent on temperature. Two samples of the same liquid can show **different conductivity values** at different temperatures - without their chemical composition having changed. **Temperature compensation** is therefore essential for comparable results.

The solution: Modern sensors measure **conductivity** and **temperature** simultaneously. Temperature compensation converts the measured conductivity value to a uniform **reference temperature** - usually 25 °C.

## Which compensation function is the right one?

That depends on the substance being analyzed:

- **Natural waters:** Non-linear compensation according to DIN EN 27888 ("Water quality")
- **Salt solutions, acids, alkalis:** Linear compensation

The formula for calculating the percentage temperature dependence is

```
α = (ΔK(T)/ΔT) / K(25°C) * 100
```

**Example calculation:** Determination of the temperature dependency for a rapid descaler:

- Measurement 1: 122.37 mS/cm at 20 °C
- Measurement 2: 133.10 mS/cm at 25 °C
- Measurement 3: 135.20 mS/cm at 26 °C

Calculation:

```

ΔK = 135.20 - 122.37 = 12.83 mS/cm ΔT = 26 - 20 = 6 °C K(25 °C) = 133.10 mS/cm α = (12.83 / 6) / 133.10 * 100 ≈ 1.60 %/°C
```

## Conclusion

Conductivity measurement is a simple and effective method for analyzing liquids - provided that the temperature and medium are taken into account correctly. Whether in environmental technology, water analysis or industry: modern sensor solutions with integrated temperature compensation provide reliable values and therefore enable safe decisions to be made.

[View full post](https://stssensors.com/knowledge/conductivity-measurement-in-natural-waters-other-liquids)

```json
{
  "@context" : "http://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "STS"
  },
  "dateModified" : "2025-06-23T15:33:08.011Z",
  "datePublished" : "2025-06-23T13:23:37Z",
  "headline" : "Conductivity measurement in natural waters & other liquids",
  "image" : {
    "@type" : "ImageObject",
    "height" : 432,
    "url" : "https://144360821.fs1.hubspotusercontent-eu1.net/hubfs/144360821/Imported%20sitepage%20images/Leitf%C3%A4higkeitsmessung-in-nat%C3%BCrlichen-Gew%C3%A4ssern-und-anderen-Fl%C3%BCssigkeiten.jpeg.webp",
    "width" : 650
  },
  "mainEntityOfPage" : "https://stssensors.com/knowledge/conductivity-measurement-in-natural-waters-other-liquids",
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "height" : 60,
      "url" : "/hs/hsstatic/content_shared_assets/static-1.4092/img/default-amp-logo.png",
      "width" : 60
    },
    "name" : "Wissen"
  }
}
```