WATER QUALITY STANDARDS FOR DRINKING WATER

S.No Parameters USPHS BIS ICMR WHO

1 pH value 7-8.5 6.5-8.5 6.5-9.2 6.5-9.2
2 DO (mg/l) - 6 - -
3 BOD (5day- - 2 - -
20oC,mg/l)
4 MPN/100 ml, max - 50 - -
5 Color, Hazen units 5 10 25 on pt-co 50 on pt-co
scale scale
6 Odour Nil Nil - -
7 Taste Tasteless Tasteless Tasteless Tasteless
8 TDS (mg/l) 500 500 - -
9 Total hardness (mg/l) 200 300 - -
10 Calcium 75 200 200 200
hardness(mg/l)
11 Magnesium 30 100 150 150
hardness(mg/l)
12 Copper as Cu (mg/l) 0.05 1.5 3.0 1.5
13 Iron as Fe (mg/l) 0.1 0.3 1.0 1.0
14 Manganese as 0.05 0.5 0.5 0.5
Mn(mg/l)
15 Chlorides as Cl2(mg/l) 200 250 - -
16 Sulphates as So4(mg/l) 200 400 - 400

17 Nitrates as No3 (mg/l) 45 20 50 5-100

18 Fluorides, (mg/l) 1.0 1.5 2.0 1-1.5
19 Cd (mg/l) 0.01 0.01 - -
20 Cr6+(mg/l) 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05
21 Zn (mg/l) 5 15 - -
22 Pb (mg/l) 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
23 Turbidity 2.5 on JTU < 10 units 25 on silica 25 on silica
scale scale scale
24 Total solids - - - 1500
25 Total Alkalinity - 50-200 - -
26 EC 300 - - -
27 TSS (mg/l) - 5 - -
28 Phosphate (mg/l) - - - 0.05