Most Important Comparisons of Drinking Water Specifications
|
Parameters |
WHO
Guidelines of Drinking Water Quality 1999
|
USA
USEPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations
|
EU
European Communities Drinking Water Regulations 2000
|
|
Colour |
15 TCU* |
15 Colour Units |
Acceptable to consumers and no abnormal change |
|
Odour |
No guideline |
3 Threshold Odor Number |
Acceptable to consumers and no abnormal change |
|
Taste |
No guideline |
─ |
─ |
|
Turbidity |
5 NTU* |
NA |
Acceptable to consumers and no abnormal change |
|
Chlorine |
No guideline |
4 mg/L as Cl2 Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level |
Not mentioned |
|
PH |
No guideline |
6.5 – 8.5 |
6.5-9.5 |
|
TDS |
1000 mg/L* |
500 mg/L |
Not mentioned |
|
Total Hardness as CaCO3 |
No guideline |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
|
Calcium as Ca |
No guideline |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
|
Magnesium as Mg |
No guideline |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
|
Alkalinity |
No guideline |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
|
Chloride |
250 mg/L * |
250 mg/L |
250 mg/L |
|
Fluoride |
1.5 mg/L |
4.0 mg/L |
1 mg/L |
|
Nitrate |
50 mg/L as NO3 |
10 as N2 / 44.44 as NO3 |
50 mg/L |
|
Nitrite |
3(P) |
1 as N2 |
0.50 mg/L |
|
Sulphate |
250 mg/L* |
250 mg/L |
250 mg/L |
|
Iron |
0.3 mg/L * |
0.3 mg/L |
0.2 mg/L |
|
Ammonia |
1.5mg/L* |
Not mentioned |
0.3 mg/L |
|
Aluminum |
0.2mg/L* |
0.05 – 0.2 mg/L |
0.2 mg/L |
|
Arsenic |
0.01 mg/L (P) |
0.01 mg/L |
0.05 mg/L |
|
Antimony |
0.005 mg/L (P) |
0.006 mg/L |
0.01 mg/L |
|
Asbestos |
No guideline |
7 MFL |
Not mentioned |
|
Barium |
0.7 mg/L |
2 mg/L |
Not mentioned |
|
Beryllium |
No guideline |
0.004 mg/L |
Not mentioned |
|
Brass |
No guideline |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
|
Boron |
0.3 mg/L |
Not mentioned |
1 mg/L |
|
Bromate |
0.025 mg/L (P) |
Zero |
0.01 mg/L |
|
BOD |
No guideline |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
|
Cadmium |
0.003 mg/L |
0.005 mg/L |
0.005 mg/L |
|
Chromium |
0.05 mg/L (P) |
0.1 mg/L |
0.05 mg/L |
|
Copper |
2 mg/L (P) |
1.3 mg/L |
Zero |
|
Cyanide |
0.07 mg/L |
0.2 mg/L |
0.05 mg/L |
|
Dissolved Oxygen |
No guideline |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
|
Hydrogen sulphide |
No guideline |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
|
Lead |
0.01 mg/L |
0.015 mg/L |
0.01 mg/L |
|
Manganese |
0.5 mg/L (P) |
0.05 mg/L |
0.05 mg/L |
|
Mercury |
0.001 mg/L |
0.002 mg/L |
0.001 mg/L |
|
Molybdenum |
0.07 mg/L |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
|
Nickel |
0.02 mg/L |
Not mentioned |
Zero |
|
Selenium |
0.01 mg/L |
0.05 mg/L |
0.01 mg/L |
|
Silver |
No guideline |
0.1 mg/L |
Not mentioned |
|
Sodium |
200 mg/L |
Not mentioned |
200 mg/L |
|
Potassium |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
|
Thallium |
Not mentioned |
0.0005 mg/L |
Not mentioned |
|
Zinc |
3 mg/L |
5 mg/L SS |
Not mentioned |
|
Anionic detergents |
Not mentioned |
─ |
Not mentioned |
|
Poly nuclear aromatic hydrocarbon |
Not mentioned |
Zero |
0.0001 mg/L |
|
Poly chlorinated bi phenyl |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
|
Phenolic compounds |
Not mentioned |
Zero |
Not mentioned |
|
Total Trihalomethanes |
─ |
Zero |
0.1 mg/L |
|
Trihalomethanes (bromoform) |
0.1 mg/L |
Not mentioned - |
Not mentioned - |
|
Trihalomethanes (chloroform) |
0.2 mg/L |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
|
Acrylamide |
0.0005 mg/L |
Zero |
0.0001 mg/L |
|
Benzene |
0.01 mg/L |
Zero |
0.001 mg/L |
|
Benzo pyrene |
0.0007 mg/L |
Zero |
0.00001 mg/L |
|
1,2 dichloro ethane |
0.03 mg/L |
Zero |
0.003 mg/L |
|
Epichlorohydrin |
0.0004 mg/L (P) |
Zero |
0.0001 mg/L |
|
Tetra chloro ethane |
0.04 mg/L |
Zero |
0.01 mg/L |
|
Trichloroethane |
0.07 mg/L |
Zero |
0.01 mg/L |
|
Vinyl chloride |
0.005mg/L |
Zero |
0.0005 mg/L |
|
Carbon tetra chloride |
0.002 mg/L |
Zero |
Not mentioned |
|
Dichloroethane |
0.05 mg/L |
Zero |
Not mentioned |
|
Xylene |
0.5 mg/L |
10 |
Not mentioned |
|
Toluene |
0.7 mg/L |
1 mg/L |
Not mentioned |
|
Carbofuran |
Not mentioned |
0.004 mg/L |
Not mentioned |
|
Chlordane |
Not mentioned - |
Zero |
Not mentioned |
|
Chlorobenzene |
0.3 mg/L |
0.1 mg/L |
Not mentioned |
|
Ethyl benzene |
0.3 mg/L |
0.7 mg/L |
Not mentioned |
|
Styrene |
0.02 mg/L |
0.1 mg/L |
Not mentioned |
|
Dibromo chloromethane |
0.1 mg/L |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
|
Bromodichloromethane |
0.06 mg/L |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
|
Monochloramine & di & trichloramine chlorine |
3 |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
|
Dichloramine & Trichloramine chlorine |
5 |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
|
Pesticides |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
mg/L Total Pesticide 0.0005mg/L) |
|
1) Lindane |
0.002 mg/L |
0.0002 mg/L |
Not mentioned |
|
2) Endrin |
─ |
0.002 mg/L |
Not mentioned |
|
3) Diquate |
─ |
0.02 mg/L |
Not mentioned |
|
4) Glyphosphate |
─ |
0.7 mg/L |
Not mentioned |
|
5) Heptachlor |
0.00003 mg/L |
Zero |
Not mentioned |
|
6)Heptachlorepoxide |
0.00003 mg/L |
Zero |
Not mentioned |
|
7) Picloram |
─ |
0.5 mg/L |
Not mentioned |
|
8) Simazine |
0.002 mg/L |
0.004 mg/L |
Not mentioned |
|
9) Toxaphene |
─ |
Zero mg/L |
Not mentioned |
|
10) 2,4,5 TP (Silvex) |
─ |
0.05 mg/L |
Not mentioned |
|
11) Endothall |
─ |
0.1 mg/L |
Not mentioned |
|
12) Alachlor |
0.02 mg/L |
Zero |
Not mentioned |
|
13) Atrazine |
0.002 mg/L |
0.003 mg/L |
Not mentioned |
|
14) DDT |
0.002 mg/L |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
|
15) Aldrine/Dieldrin |
|
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
|
16) Endosulphan |
|
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
|
17) Chlorpyriphos |
|
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
|
18) Malatheon |
|
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
|
19) 2,4 D |
0.03 mg/L |
0.07 mg/L |
Not mentioned |
|
20) Isoproturon |
0.009 mg/L |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
|
21) Alpha HCH |
|
Not mentioned |
- |
|
22) Beta HCH |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
|
23) Delts HCH |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
|
24 Monocrotophos |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
|
25) Ethion |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
|
26) Phorate |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
|
27) Butachlor |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
|
Radioactive material Alpha, Beta, Radium 226 Radium 228 & Uranium |
0.1 Bq/L for Alpha and 1 Bq/L for Beta |
Zero |
Tritium-100 Bq/Lb |
|
Bacteria – Coliforms |
Zero |
Zero |
Zero |
|
Bacteria – E.Coli |
Zero |
Zero |
Zero |
|
Enterococci |
No guideline |
No guideline |
Zero |
|
HPC-colony |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
Zero |
|
Clostridium perfringens (spores) |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
Zero |
|
Virus |
No guideline- |
Zero |
Not mentioned |
|
Protozoa- Cryptosporidium
|
No guideline |
Zero |
Not mentioned |
|
Protozoa-Gairdia |
No guideline |
Zero |
Not mentioned |
