The Importance of Drinking Water Testing: Why it Matters?

Introduction

Access to clean and safe drinking water is fundamental to human health and well-being. However, ensuring the quality of drinking water involves more than just turning on a tap. It requires a comprehensive system of monitoring, testing, and regulation to detect and mitigate potential contaminants that could pose risks to public health and the environment. In this context, the importance of drinking water testing cannot be overstated. From safeguarding public health to preserving ecosystems, water testing plays a vital role in ensuring that the water we drink is free from harmful pollutants. This article explores the significance of drinking water testing, highlighting its critical role in protecting human health, maintaining regulatory compliance, and preserving natural resources.

Distribution of water resources on earth

What is water testing?

Water testing is a broad term for analyzing the quality of water. It involves a series of procedures to check the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of water. The goal is to determine if the water is safe and suitable for its intended use, such as drinking, recreation, or industrial purposes.

Water quality testing plays a vital role in assessing:

Domestic wastewater: Is the wastewater treated effectively before being released back into the environment?

Industrial effluents: Do these discharges meet regulations to protect waterways and ecosystems?

Packaged/natural mineral water: Does the bottled water live up to its claims of purity and mineral content?

Groundwater: Is this crucial resource safe from contamination that could impact future generations?

Around 60% of our body is composed of water, emphasizing the critical role water plays in our health. If the water we consume is contaminated, it can lead to severe health issues, with over 3 million people dying annually, primarily due to water pollution-related illnesses like diarrhoea. To ensure the purity of the water we drink and safeguard against harmful bacteria and metals, it is essential to conduct drinking water analysis in a laboratory. As the saying goes, "Precaution is better than cure," highlighting the importance of preventive measures in maintaining good health.

Why it is necessary to test water regularly?

Reason for Regular Water Testing	Description
Chemical Contamination	Pollutants can enter water supplies, posing health risks. Regular testing detects them early for intervention.
Weather Variations	Fluctuations in weather can impact water quality. Regular testing monitors these changes for adjustments.
Pollution Detection	Industrial discharge and runoff can degrade water quality. Routine testing detects pollutants for swift action.
Compliance with Standards	Adherence to regulations ensures safe drinking water. Regular testing verifies compliance for human consumption and ecosystem health.
Preservation of Water Resources	Monitoring is crucial for preserving freshwater resources. Regular testing safeguards water supplies, promoting sustainable water management and supporting biodiversity.

Drinking water testing and analysis

Understanding the purpose of water usage is crucial before conducting water quality testing. Whether it's intended for drinking or discharge into open sources dictates the standards and parameters for analysis. Standards from organizations like APHA, IS, CPCB, and WHO are commonly referenced for water quality analysis, depending on the intended purpose.

Water quality testing typically falls into three main categories:

Physical Tests: These assess properties detectable by the senses such as color, turbidity, odor, and taste.
Chemical Tests: These determine the quantity of mineral and organic substances impacting water quality. Parameters like pH, BOD, DO, calcium, magnesium, and chloride fall under this category.
Bacteriological Tests: These detect the presence of bacteria, particularly as indicators of fecal contamination

Regulations and standards

INDIAN STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS FOR DRINKING WATER

IS: 10500

S.NO.	Parameter	Requirement desirable Limit	Remarks
1.	Colour	5	May be extended up to 50 if toxic substances are suspected
2.	Turbidity	10	May be relaxed up to 25 in the absence of alternate
3.	pH	6.5 to 8.5	May be relaxed up to 9.2 in the absence
4.	Total Hardness	300	May be extended up to 600
5.	Calcium as Ca	75	May be extended up to 200
6.	Magnesium as Mg	30	May be extended up to 100
7.	Copper as Cu	0.05	May be relaxed up to 1.5
8.	Iron	0.3	May be extended up to 1
9.	Manganese	0.1	May be extended up to 0.5
10.	Chlorides	250	May be extended up to 1000
11.	Sulphates	150	May be extended up to 400
12.	Nitrates	45	No relaxation
13.	Fluoride	0.6 to 1.2	If the limit is below 0.6 water should be rejected, Max. Limit is extended to 1.5
14.	Phenols	0.001	May be relaxed up to 0.002
15.	Mercury	0.001	No relaxation
16.	Cadmium	0.01	No relaxation
17.	Selenium	0.01	No relaxation
18.	Arsenic	0.05	No relaxation
19.	Cyanide	0.05	No relaxation
20.	Lead	0.1	No relaxation
21.	Zinc	5.0	May be extended up to 10.0
22.	Anionic detergents (MBAS)	0.2	May be relaxed up to 1
23.	Chromium as Cr⁺⁶	0.05	No relaxation
24.	Poly nuclear aromatic Hydrocarbons	--	--
25.	Mineral Oil	0.01	May be relaxed up to 0.03
26.	Residual free Chlorine	0.2	Applicable only when water is chlorinated
27.	Pesticides	Absent	--

Bacteriological Quality of Drinking Water

S.NO.	Organism	Requirement
1	All water intended for drinking: a) E. coli or thermotolerant coliform bacteria	Shall not be detectable in any 100 ml sample
2	Treated water entering the distribution system: a) E. coli or thermotolerant coliform bacteria b) Total coliform bacteria	Shall not be detectable in any 100 ml sample Shall not be detectable in any 100 ml sample
3	Treated water in the distribution system: a) E. coli or thermotolerant coliform bacteria b) Total coliform bacteria	Shall not be detectable in any 100 ml sample Shall not be detectable in any 100 ml sample

Water Quality Testing Parameters

Below are various parameters used to assess the quality of water, along with corresponding testing methods:

Sr No	Water Testing & Analysis Parameter	Water Testing and Analysis Method
1	Colour	Visual comparison, Spectrophotmetric method
2	pH	pH paper, Universal indicator or pH meter
3	Turbidity	Nephelometric method
4	Dissolved Oxygen (DO)	Winkler method
5	Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)	Winkler method
6	Chloride (Cl)	Argentometric method
7	Hardness – Ca and Mg	EDTA method
8	Total Dissolved solids	Gravimetric method
9	Sulphate as SO₄	Turbidimetric method
10	Nitrate as NO₃	Colorimetric method
11	Iron (Fe)	AAS
12	Sodium (Na)	AAS
13	E.Coli	MPN – completed test for E.coli
14	Total Coliform Bacteria	MPN
15	Total Bacteria	Enumeration method

Eurofins role in testing drinking water

Eurofins plays a significant role in testing drinking water analysis by offering a comprehensive suite of services. Here's a breakdown of their involvement:

Extensive Testing Capabilities: Eurofins can analyze a wide range of parameters in your drinking water, including:

Physical parameters of water quality: Physical parameters are those determined by the senses of sight, smell, taste, and touch. Temperature, colour, taste and odour, turbidity, and dissolved solids content are examples of physical parameters.

Chemical parameters of water quality: These chemical parameters can assess pH, hardness, dissolved oxygen levels, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and levels of radioactive substances, toxic organic and inorganic substances, sulphate, nitrogen, fluoride, iron, manganese, copper, and zinc.

Biological parameters of water quality: Biological parameters of water quality are measurements of the number of bacteria, algae, viruses, and protozoa found in water.

Expertise Across Water Types: Their testing covers various drinking water sources, including :

Municipal tap water
Packaged drinking water
Groundwater
Well water

Supporting Regulations: Eurofins helps ensure compliance with drinking water regulations by offering accredited testing methods that meet national and international standards .

Additional Services: Beyond testing, Eurofins can also provide services like :

Sampling of water
Technical advice on water treatment
Planning for water treatment plants

Overall, Eurofins acts as a partner in ensuring the safety and quality of your drinking water through comprehensive analysis and adherence to regulations.

References:

https://www.who.int/teams/environment-climate-change-and-health/water-sanitation-and-health/water-safety-and-quality/drinking-water-quality-guidelines
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/packaged-water-tops-recalled-products-list/articleshow/104324644.cms
Chow, C. (2004). WATER ANALYSIS | Potable Water. Encyclopedia of Analytical Science (Second Edition), 253-262. https://doi.org/10.1016/B0-12-369397-7/00654-3
Beauchamp, N., Delpla, I., Dorea, C., Bouchard, C., Thomas, M., Thomas, O., & Rodriguez, M. (2021). Drinking water quality assessment and management. UV-Visible Spectrophotometry of Waters and Soils (Third Edition), 321-345. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-90994-5.00015-0