Quality, Standards and Testing

Water needed for human consumption, industrial purposes or other requirements must cater to certain minimum standards. The quality of any water is defined by its physical and chemical properties (characteristics). Physical properties include its appearance (colour, clarity and odour, perhaps also its taste) while the chemical properties refer to the constituents dissolved in it. Some of the physical properties are measurable and can be expressed in units of measurement while others like appearance, odour or taste are clearly subjective. However, all the chemical constituents can be measured accurately.

Drinking water must meet certain quality standards to safeguard the health of the people. The permissible and desirable limits of various parameters in drinking water have been detailed as per the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) standard specifications for potable water. These parameters are included in BIS-10500-1991. The various parameters covered include colour, odour, pH, total dissolved solids, hardness, alkalinity, elemental compounds such as iron, manganese, sulphate, nitrate, chloride, fluoride, arsenic, chromium, copper, cyanide, lead, mercury, zinc and coliform bacteria. The tolerance limits for inland surface waters for various classes of water use have been published by the Central Water Commission. Per ISI-IS: 2296-1982, the tolerance limits of parameters are specified as per classified use of water depending on various uses of water ranging from Class A to Class E.

What does the water that one drinks contain, what substances are dissolved in it and what are their safe limits? What are the issues that affect water quality? For more detailed information on all this, please read our FAQs on Rules, Regulations & Standards concerning water and Equipments used to measure water quality and quantity

Featured Articles
July 8, 2022 Indian rivers are experiencing rising temperatures, which can lower the oxygen carrying capacity of their waters and spell doom for living organisms, small and large living in the waters.
The Karamana river in Thiruvanathapuram, Kerala (Image Source: India Water Portal)
June 22, 2021 Nonylphenol and its ethoxylates in drinking water: A health challenge
Water treatment facilities are incapable of removing many chemical compounds and need to be upgraded (Image: PxHere)
December 2, 2019 Water stewardship is an approach predicated on the concept that water is a shared resource and so water risks are also shared risks that everyone in a catchment will face
Picture credit: Romit Sen
November 21, 2019 A report by NIUA brings to light the chinks in Jaipur's sewage system and suggests some solutions.
Routine check done by the sewage treatment plant staff in Delawas, Jaipur. The plant is part of the ADB best practices projects list. (Image: Asian Development Bank, Flickr Commons)
Water packaging units run without licence
News this week Posted on 03 Jul, 2016 12:07 AM

Most water packaging units operating without license: FSSAI

Mineral water bottles (Source: Pixabay.com)
Pipara women realise pipe dream
Pipara village in the parched Bundelkhand region stands out for its uninterrupted water supply. The village has their women to thank for it. Posted on 01 Jul, 2016 12:03 PM

The cracks on the parched land of Bundelkhand are waiting for the monsoon to quench the thirst of its arid landscape. Despite the wide-spread drought here, Pipara, one of the villages in the region, stands apart as the only one that has not run completely dry. 

Women fill water from one of the taps at Pipara.
Rural India walks more than 500m for drinking water
News this week Posted on 25 Jun, 2016 09:13 AM

Rural India walks too far to quench their thirst

Rural India walks far to get water (Source: IWP Flickr Photos)
Farm ponds save village from drought
Tonk Khurd’s innovative farm ponds prove that when it comes to solving water crisis, one size does not fit all. Posted on 21 Jun, 2016 09:09 AM

Vikram Patel, a 71-year-old farmer in Chidavad village of Dewas district in Madhya Pradesh is one of the first farmers to have embraced the idea of farm ponds to increase the groundwater level in his farm.

Vikram Patel near his farm pond in Chidavad.
Karnataka, Tamil Nadu fight over Cauvery water sharing
News this week Posted on 18 Jun, 2016 10:04 AM

Karnataka and TN at cross roads over Mekedatu river project

Cauvery river at Hogenakal, Karnataka (Source: IWP Flickr Photos via Claire Arni and Oriole Henri)
"Power firms lose Rs 2400 crores to water crisis"
News this week Posted on 12 Jun, 2016 08:54 PM

Power firms’ loss due to water shortage is Rs 2400 crore this year: Greenpeace

An NTPC thermal plant (Source: IWP Flickr Photos)
At Simhastha, govt fishes in Kshipra’s troubled waters
The state machinery’s face-saving measures during Simhastha saw Kshipra river carrying more muck in her than ever. While the river yearns for revival, the government seems keen on interlinking rivers. Posted on 05 Jun, 2016 07:05 AM

The Madhya Simhastha Maha Kumbh festival, the religious extravaganza that happens once in every 12 years, was held in Ujjain from April 22-May 21, 2016.

Kshipra before Shahi Snan
Bringing potable water to villagers of Dhar
Fluorosis-affected villagers can now heave a sigh of relief. The dream of safe drinking water at their doorstep has become a reality. Posted on 01 Jun, 2016 09:36 PM

Seema Kalu, suffering from skeletal fluorosis (Source:Dalpat & Heena)

Dilip in Bankpura village, Dhar, MP suffers from skeletal fluorosis (Source: Dalpat & Heena)
Subarnarekha is dying. Who’s responsible?
The pitiful state of Subarnarekha stands testimony to the changing times. The river is being slowly killed by the greed of the rich and the apathy of the powerful. Posted on 28 May, 2016 05:46 PM

It would not be an exaggeration to say Subarnarekha (Line of gold) is a film that left an indelible mark on Indian cinema. The film, by Ritwik Ghatak, is inspired by a river by the same name and narrates the reality around the river which flows through the present day Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha, before draining into the Bay of Bengal.

India’s steel city dumps its waste into Subarnarekha, the river of gold
NGT disallows any construction around Bengaluru lakes
Policy matters this week Posted on 10 May, 2016 09:59 AM

No construction around Bellandur-Agara lakes: NGT

Residential complexes around a lake in Bengaluru (Source: IWP Flickr Photos)
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