Water Treatment Solutions

EU's drinking water standards

 

Parameter

Symbol/formula

Parametric value (mg/l)

Acrylamide

C3H5NO

0.0001

Antimony

Sb

0.005

Arsenic

As

0.01

Benzene

C6H6

0.001

Benzo(a)pyrene

C20H12

0.00001

Boron

B

1.00

Bromate

Br

0.01

Cadmium

Cd

0.005

Chromium

Cr

0.05

Copper

Cu

2.0

Cyanide

CN =

0.05

1,2-dichloroethane

Cl CH2 CH2 Cl

0.003

Epichlorohydrin

C3H5OCl

0.0001

Fluoride

F

1.5

Lead

Pb

0.01

Mercury

Hg

0.001

Nickel

Ni

0.02

Nitrate

NO3

50

Nitrite

NO2

0.50

Pesticides

 

0.0001

Pesticides - Total

 

0.0005

PAHs

C2 H3 N1 O5 P1 3

0.0001

Selenium

Se

0.01

Tetrachloroethene and trichloroethene

C2Cl4/C2HCl3

0.01

Trihalomethanes - Total

 

0.1

Vinyl chloride

C2H3Cl

0.0005

Indicator parameters

Parameter

Symbol/
formula

Parametric value

Aluminium

Al

0.2 mg/l

Ammonium

NH4

0.50 mg/l

Chloride

Cl

250 mg/l

Clostridium perfringens (including spores)

 

0/100 ml

Colour

 

Acceptable to consumers and no abnormal change

Conductivity

 

2500 μS/cm @ 20oC

Hydrogen ion concentration

[H+]

≥ 6.5 and ≤ 9.5

Iron

Fe

0.2 mg/l

Manganese

Mn

0.05 mg/l

Odour

 

Acceptable to consumers and no abnormal change

Oxidisability

 

5.0 mg/l O2

Sulfate

SO4

250 mg/l

Sodium

Na

200 mg/l

Taste

 

Acceptable to consumers and no abnormal change

Colony count 22o

 

No abnormal change

Coliform bacteria

 

0/100 ml

Total organic carbon (TOC)

 

No abnormal change

Turbidity

 

Acceptable to consumers and no abnormal change

Tritium

H3

100 Bq/l

Total indicative dose

 

0.10 mSv/year

Microbiological parameters

Parameter

Parametric value

Escherichia coli (E. coli)

0 in 250 ml

Enterococci

0 in 250 ml

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

0 in 250 ml

Colony count 22oC

100/ml

Colony count 37oC

20/ml



Click here for a comparative table of the WHO/EU water standards.