A commonly used definition of drinking water is water that is intended for human consumption and other domestic uses. It may be used directly from the tap, or indirectly in beverages or foods prepared with water. Bathing and showering may be among its other uses.
We expect drinking water to be safe to use and pleasant to drink. But what does safe and pleasant mean? In Australia, the key reference material is a document called Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. These guidelines state:
“ drinking water should be safe to drink for people in most stages of normal life, including children over six months of age and the very old. It should contain no harmful concentrations of chemicals or pathogenic microorganisms, and ideally it should be aesthetically pleasing in regard to appearance, taste and odour. ”.
The guidelines also define drinking water as water “.. that, based on current knowledge, is safe to drink over a lifetime; that is, it constitutes no significant risk to health.”
Water that meets all of the above criteria is also called potable water.
Internationally, the key reference to drinking water quality is the publication from the World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines for drinking-water quality.
Since 1972, drinking water guidelines specifically developed for Australian conditions have also been available. These Australian drinking water guidelines have been based on the latest available version of the WHO guidelines but have also been adapted to take into account a range of local circumstances.
One difference between the WHO and Australian guidelines is that while the WHO guidelines seek to define drinking water which, as well as being safe, is aesthetically acceptable, the emphasis in the Australian guidelines is on defining good quality drinking water.
More about the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines
Consumer's Guide to Drinking Water - May 2006