DR. AMRITHA LEKHA. A.K.

POST GRADUATE
GUIDE: PROF. DR. R. UMADEVI
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY MEDICINE
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*663 million people rely on unimproved sources, including
159 million dependent on surface water.

*Globally, at least 1.8 billion people use a drinking-water

source contaminated with faeces.

*Contaminated water can transmit diseases such diarrhea,

cholera, dysentery, typhoid and polio.
*These serve as a basis for judging water quality.

*These are exposure limits for physical, chemical and

biological agents in water.

*To minimise all the known health hazards.

*“Guidelines for drinking water quality” published

in 2011 by WHO
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*Acceptability aspects

*Microbiological aspects

*Chemical aspects

*Radiological aspects
*
*Physical parameters:
*Turbidity
*Colour
*Taste and odour
*Temperature
 *
* It is caused by presence of particulate matter.

* Interferes with disinfection of water and microbiological

analysis.

* Surface waters – turbid

* Ground water – clear

 *
*Pure water is colourless.

*Surface water- Green to yellow to brown

*Source of colour
*Vegetable origin
*Industrial waste
 *
*Unpleasant tastes and odour can be due to growth
of,

* Algae
* Fungi
* Diatoms
* Chrystophata
* Decaying organic matters
* Hydrogen sulphide gas
CHARECTERISTIC METHOD OF PRESCRIBED LIMIT
MEASUREMENT

TURBIDITY Nephelometer Prescribed upper limit is 1NTU’s

COLOUR Colorimeter Optimum 5units

Prescribed upper limit 15 units

ODOUR AND TASTE Threshold odour test Threshold odour number <
3units
 *
*Chlorides *Sulphate
*Hardness *Total dissolved solids
*Ammonia *Zinc
*pH *Manganese
*Dissolved oxygen
*Hydrogen Sulphide
*Copper
*Iron
*Aluminium
*Sodium
*Chloride concentration of water varies from
place to place.

*Normal range of chlorides for surface water

and ground water should be determined for in
that locality

*Increased Chloride in water is a permanent

indicator of pollution.
 *
*Hard water is one which does not readily give lather
with soap.

*Hardness is the soap destroying quality of water.

*Due to presence of mineral salts such as, bicarbonates,

chlorides, sulphates and nitrates of Calcium and

magnesium.
 *
*Non ionised and ionised

*Originates from
*metabolic,
*agricultural,
* industrial processes,
*Animal rearing,
*Cement mortar pipe linings and
*disinfection with chloramine.
*Natural levels are below 0.2mg/litre
*Anaerobic ground water can contain upto 3mg/litre.
*Indicator of possible bacterial, sewage and possible
animal waste pollution.

*It can compromise disinfection efficiency.

*Can cause of failure of filters for removal of Mn
*Unpleasant taste and odour
 *
*Denotes acidity or alkalinity of water.

*pH <7 causes severe corrosion and

increase in substances like lead.

*pH>8 progressive decrease in the

efficiency of chlorine disinfection.
 *
*Rotten egg odour
*Formed by Oxygen depletion and subsequent
reduction of sulphate by bacteria.

*Well aerated water has relatively low levels

of Hydrogen Sulphide.
 *
*Anaerobic water may contain considerable amount of
Ferrous ions without causing discolouration or
turbidity.

*On atmospheric exposure it causes reddish brown

discolouration.

*Promotes growth of iron bacteria- Derive energy from

oxidation of ferrous to ferric ion.

*Slimy coating of pipe.

 *
*Taste threshold concentration of Sodium in water
depends on
*the associated anion
*Temperature
*At room temperature the average taste threshold
for sodium is 200 mg/litre.
 *
*Causes noticeable taste impairment.

*It varies with the associated cation.

*Taste impairement is minimal at levels below

250mg/litre

*Addition of Calcium and Magnesium sulphate to

distilled water is known to improve taste.
 *
*TDS can improve the taste of water.

*Below 600mg/litre is considered good.

*Taste deteriorates above 1200mg/litre

*Extremely low levels of TDS maybe unacceptable

*High levels of TDS may cause scaling of pipes,

heaters, boilers and household appliances.
 *
*Imparts undesirable taste

*Taste threshold concentration of 4mg/litre.

*Above 5mg/l, water appears opalescent with development

of greasy film while boiling.

*Drinking water always contains zinc <0.1mg/l

*Tap water Zn levels may be higher due to the plumbing

material.
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*Mn below 0.1mg/litre is acceptable

*Above this level the water stains sanitary ware and

laundry and also causes undesirable taste in
beverages.

*Higher levels may form coating in pipes and can

slough off as black precipitate.
 *
*Depletion of dissolved oxygen can encourage microbial
activity forming nitrites and sulphides causing

undesirable odour.

*Can cause increase in ferrous concentration.

*No health based guideline value has been

recommended.
SUBSTANCES PRESCRIBED UPPER LIMIT

Chlorides 200mg/l
Maximum permissible level- 600mg/l
Hardness 3mEq/l
Ammonia 0.05ppm
pH 6.5 - 7.5
Hydrogen sulphide 0.05 mg/l
Iron 0.3mg/l
Sodium 200mg/l
Sulphate 250mg/l
Total dissolved solids 1000mg/l
Zinc 4mg/l
Manganese 0.1mg/l
Copper 0.05mg/l
Aluminium 0.2mg/l
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*BACTERIOLOGICAL ASPECTS

*VIROLOGICAL ASPECTS

*BIOLOGICAL ASPECTS
 *
* Ideally drinking water should not contain any micro organisms

* Most commonly detected organisms that indicate fecal

contamination of water are,

* Coliform organisms : Primary indicator

* Fecal Streptococci

* Clostridium perfringens
 *
*Coliforms include all aerobic and facultative anaerobic
gram negative, non sporing bacilli of both faecal and
non faecal origin.

*They are an indicator of faecal pollution.

*Coliform has greater resistance to the forces of natural
purification than water born pathogens

*Present in abundance in human intestine.

*Easily detected by culture methods
 *
*Drinking water should be free from viruses.
*Disinfection with 0.5mg/l of free residual chlorine after
contact period of atleast 30 minutes is sufficient to
inactivate virus.

*This chlorine free residual is to be insisted in all

disinfected supplies area suspected of endemicity of
Hepatitis A
 *
* Protozoa:
* Entamoeba Histolytica
* Giardia species
* Balantidium coli
* Helminths:
* Infective stages of parasitic roundworms and flatworms
* Dracunculus medinensis
* Human schistosomes
* Free living organisms
* Fungi
* Algae
 *
* Health risk due to toxic chemicals in drinking water differs
from that caused by micro biological contaminants.
* These substance may organic or inorganic.
* Arsenic
* Cadmium
* Chromium
* Cyanide
* Fluoride
* Lead,
* Mercury
* Nitrates and Nitrites
Constituents Recommended maximum limit

Antimony 0.02

Arsenic 0.01

Barium 0.7

Flouride 1.5

Mercury 0.006

Cadmium 0.003

Copper 2

Lead 0.01

Manganese 0.4

Nitrates 50

Nickel 0.07

Selenium 0.04
 *
*Gross alpha and beta activity are measured
*Radioactivity in drinking water should be kept within safe
limit.

*The activity of a radio-active material is the number of

nuclear disintegration per unit time.

*The unit of activity is a Becquerel (Bq);

*The proposed guideline value are;Gross alpha activity 0.1
Bq/LGross beta activity 1.0 Bq/L
 *

*Activities:

*Approval of new sources

*Watershed Protection

*Approval of construction and operating procedures of

water works

*Sanitary surveys
*Monitoring Programmes, including central and
regional laboratory analytical services.

*Development of codes for well construction, pump

installation etc.

*Inspection quality control in Bottled water and ice

manufacturing operations.
 *

*Sanitary Survey

*Sampling

*Bacteriological Surveillance

*Biological Examination

*Chemical surveillance
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*
*
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*Presumptive Coliform test

*Multiple tube method
*Membrane filtration
*Colony count
*
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* In 2015, 91% of the world’s population had access to an
improved drinking-water source, compared with 76% in 1990

* 2.6 billion people have gained access to an improved

drinking-water source since 1990.

* 4.2 billion people now get water through a piped connection;

* 2.4 billion access water through other improved sources
including public taps, protected wells and boreholes.
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