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)
Invitation for Bio Sand Water Filter training, Sangam Charitable Trust and Aakanksha, Muzaffarpur, Bihar
The two NGOs are organising the five-day training course for social leaders in fabricating Bio Sand water filters that can remove upto 99% impurities
Posted on 29 May, 2014 11:37 AM

BioSand Water Filters can remove up to 99% of bacteria & viruses and also eliminate worms, parasites, amoebae, protozoa, metals and arsenic and provide safe drinking water for a family or community.

To know more about the training, download the attachment below.

Biosand filter training in Muzaffarpur, Bihar
Access to clean water and sanitation: the rural-urban gap closes
News this week Posted on 27 May, 2014 12:21 PM

The rural-urban divide in access to sanitation reduces: UN

Many rural areas have free toilets
Environmentalists wary of Modi's green agenda
News this week Posted on 20 May, 2014 10:47 PM

Environmentalists wary of Modi's green agenda

Launch of Narmada-Kshipra interlink (The Hindu)
Companies finally disclose their water-related risks
Will climate change cause greater water-related risks to companies? 29 Indian companies and hundreds of global companies find out. Posted on 24 Apr, 2014 03:17 PM

Businesses increasingly face water risks in the context of climate change. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), India will face changes in rainfall patterns, increase in frequency and severity of extreme weather events along with droughts and flood.

Industrial pollution, Image: Ganesh Dhamodkar
Water privatisation, a failed model?
JUSCO, India's largest water supply developer, has failed to provide water connections in many parts of India. Water must be treated as a non-commercial entity if there is to be equity in access. Posted on 05 Apr, 2014 03:12 PM

Since water reforms were introduced in India in the 1990s, water privatisation has been propagated as a panacea to the sector's problems. 

JUSCO disconnected Nirmal Basti's water connection
India's dykes on Kaliganga cause misery to Nepal
News this week: Nepal blames India for causing floods in former's territory; Study says Ganga is loaded with superbugs; Slowdown affects water use in Pune industries. Posted on 24 Feb, 2014 04:18 PM

 

India builds dykes on Kaliganga, causes misery to Nepal

Floods in Darchula in Nepal (Source: Wikipedia)
Scrap 15 out of 40 dams across Siang in Arunachal: CWC
Policy matter this week: CWC report warns against dams proposed in Siang; MoEF eases norms to clear dams in Sikkim; Karnataka all set to constitute groundwater authority. Posted on 24 Feb, 2014 04:17 PM

CWC recommends scrapping of 15 dams planned across Siang

A river in East Siang (Source: Wikimedia)
Invite to the training workshop on 'Water Quality, Testing and Treatment Technologies', Wockhardt Foundation, Mumbai
The programme aims to ensure water security in the country, particularly for the welfare of the vulnerable, poor and socially backward communities.
Posted on 19 Feb, 2014 11:36 AM

Programme overview:

Red Hills reservoir leaks Chennai's water supply!
News this week: Chennai's Red Hills reservoir is leaking water; quantum of uranium in 'Thummalapalle' groundwater poses no threat to people; Kerala has the cleanest Anganwadi toilets. Posted on 10 Feb, 2014 04:49 PM

Chennai's drinking water seeps down the drain

A reservoir in Tamil Nadu (Source: Wikipedia)
Bird sanctuary Chilika designated 'Destination Flyways'
News this week: UN to develop strategies to protect migratory birds in Chilika, Odisha; Cochin estuary has highest in toxicity in the world; Jaipur farmers in conflict with bottling plant. Posted on 29 Jan, 2014 12:29 PM

Chilika lagoon named as 'Destination Flyways' by UN

Chilika bird sanctuary, Odisha (Source:Aditi Pany)
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