Drinking water quality standards: GOST, SanPiN, quality control program

Water - is the element without which it would be impossible to create life on Earth. The human body, like all living things, can not exist without life-giving moisture, since without it no cell of the body will work. Therefore, assessing the quality of drinking water is an important task for any person thinking about his health and longevity.

What is the use of water?

Water for the body is the second most important component after the air. It is present in all cells, organs and tissues of the body. It lubricates our joints, moistens eyeballs and mucous membranes, takes part in thermoregulation, assists in digesting useful substances and removes unnecessary ones, helps the work of the heart and blood vessels, increases the defenses of the body, helps fight stress and fatigue, and controls metabolism.

In a day, an ordinary person should drink from two to three liters of clean water. This is the minimum on which our health and health depends.

Life and work under the air conditioners, dry and poorly ventilated rooms, the abundance of people around, the use of poor-quality food, coffee, tea, alcohol, physical activity - all this leads to dehydration and requires additional water resources.

It is easy to guess that with such a value of water in life it should have the appropriate properties. What standards of drinking water quality in Russia exist today and what does our body really need? About this further.

Clean water and human health

Of course, everyone knows that the water we consume must be exceptionally clean. Contaminated can cause such terrible diseases as:

• Cholera.
• Dysentery.
• Typhoid fever.
• Ankylostomiasis.
• Jaundice.
• Fever.
• Brucellosis.
• Various parasitic infections.

Not so long ago, these diseases undermined health and carried away the lives of entire villages. But today the requirements to water quality allow us to protect ourselves from all pathogenic bacteria and viruses. But in addition to microorganisms in the water can contain many elements of the periodic table, which with regular consumption in large quantities can cause serious health problems.

Consider some of the chemical elements that are dangerous to humans

• Excess iron in water causes allergic reactions and kidney diseases.
• The high content of manganese is a mutation.
• With an increased content of chlorides and sulfates, there are abnormalities in the work of the gastrointestinal tract.
• The excess content of magnesium and calcium gives water the so-called stiffness and causes the person arthritis and the formation of stones (in the kidneys, urinary and gall bladder).
• The content of fluorine above the limits of normal leads to serious problems with the teeth and oral cavity.
• Hydrogen sulphide, lead, arsenic - all this is a poisonous mix for all living things.
• Uranium is radioactive in large doses.
• Cadmium destroys the zinc important for the brain.
• Aluminum causes liver and kidney disease, anemia, problems with the nervous system, colitis.

There is a serious danger of exceeding the norms of SanPiN. Drinking water, saturated with chemicals, with regular use (in the long term) can cause chronic intoxication, which will lead to the development of the aforementioned diseases. Do not forget that poorly purified liquid can be harmful not only when ingested, but also absorbed through the skin during water procedures (showering, bathing, swimming in the pool).

Thus, we understand that minerals, macro- and microelements, which in small quantities only benefit us, are capable of causing serious, and sometimes even irreparable, disruptions in the work of the whole organism in an overabundance.

The main indicators (norms) of drinking water quality

• Organoleptic - color, taste, smell, color, transparency.
• Toxicological - the presence of harmful chemicals (phenols, arsenic, pesticides, aluminum, lead and others).
• Indicators that affect the properties of water - stiffness, pH, the presence of petroleum products, iron, nitrates, manganese, potassium, sulfides and so on.
• The amount of chemicals that remain after treatment is chlorine, silver, chloroform.

Today, the requirements for water quality in Russia are very strict and regulated by sanitary rules and norms, abbreviated SanPiN. Drinking water, which flows from the tap, according to regulatory documents, should be so clean that you can use it without fear for your health. But unfortunately, it is really safe, crystal clear and even useful, it can be called only at the stage of exiting the purification plant. Further, passing along the old, often rusty and worn-out water mains, it is saturated with completely useless microorganisms and even is mineralized by hazardous chemical substances (lead, mercury, iron, chromium, arsenic).

Where do they get water for industrial cleaning?

• Reservoirs (lakes and rivers).
• Underground sources (artesian wells, wells).
• Rains and melt water.
• Desalted salted water.
• Water from icebergs.

Why water gets polluted

There are several sources of water pollution :

• Municipal sewage.
• Municipal household waste.
• Sewage of industrial enterprises.
• Plums of industrial waste.

Water: GOST (norms)

Requirements for tap water in Russia are regulated by the norms of SanPiN 2.1.1074-01 and GOST. Here are some of the main indicators.

State Water Quality Control

The drinking water quality control program includes regular sampling of tap water and a thorough check of tap water samples for all indicators. The number of inspections depends on the number of people served:

• Less than 10,000 people - twice a month.
• 10 000-20 000 people - ten times a month.
• 20 000-50 000 people - thirty times a month.
• 50 000-100 000 people - a hundred times a month.
• Then one additional check for every 5,000 people.

Water from a well and wells

Very often people believe that water from wells, wells and springs is better than tap water and is ideal for drinking. In fact, this is not at all the case. Sampling of water from such sources almost always shows its unfitness for drinking, even in boiled form due to the presence of harmful and contaminated suspensions, such as:

• Organic compounds - carbon, tetrachloride, acrylamide, vinyl chloride and other salts.
• Inorganic compounds - excess of the norms of zinc, lead, nickel.
• Microbiological - intestinal rods, bacteria.
• Heavy metals.
• Pesticides.

To avoid health problems, water from any wells and wells should be checked at least twice a year. Most likely, after sampling, comparing the results and drinking water quality standards, we will have to install stationary filtering systems and regularly update them. Because the natural water is constantly changing and being updated, and the content of impurities in it will also change with time.

How to check the water yourself

Today, there is a huge number of special devices for home testing of some water quality indicators . But there are also the simplest and most accessible ways:

• Determination of the presence of salts and impurities. One drop of water should be applied to a clean glass and wait until it dries completely. If after that there will be no stains on the glass, then water can be considered perfectly clean.
• Determine the presence of bacteria / microorganisms / chemical compounds / organic substances. It is necessary to fill a three-liter jar with water, cover and leave in a dark place for 2-3 days. A green coating on the walls will indicate the presence of microorganisms, a deposit at the bottom of the can - about the presence of excess organic substances, a film on the surface - about harmful chemical compounds.
• The suitability of water for drinking will help determine the usual test with a solution of potassium permanganate. About 100 ml of the ready weak solution of potassium permanganate must be poured into a glass with water. Water should become a lighter shade. If the shade has changed to yellow, such water should not be taken internally categorically.

Of course, such home checks can not replace detailed analyzes and do not confirm that the water corresponds to GOST. But if temporarily it is not possible to verify the quality of moisture in a laboratory way, you need to resort to at least such an option.

Where and how can I submit water for analysis

The norms of drinking water quality can be controlled by everyone today. If there is a suspicion that tap water does not meet the requirements of regulatory documentation, you should submit a water sample yourself. In addition, it is recommended to do 2-3 times a year, if a person uses water from a well, well or spring. Where to go? This can be done in the district Sanitary and Epidemiological Station (SES) or in a paid laboratory.

The samples of water taken for analysis will be evaluated for toxicological, organoleptic, chemical and microbiological indicators in accordance with generally accepted standards. Based on the test results, the usual laboratory issues a recommendation for the installation of additional filtering systems.

Home filter systems

How to maintain the quality of drinking water in accordance with the norms? What can be done to ensure that life-giving moisture is always of the highest quality?

The only way out is to install stationary filtering systems.

There are filters in the form of jugs, nozzles on the faucet and desktop boxes - all these types are suitable only for the initially good quality water from the faucet. More serious and powerful filters (under the sink, stationary, backfill) are more often used for purification of water in unfavorable areas, in country houses, at food enterprises.

The best for today are filters with a special reverse osmosis system. Such an assembly first completely cleans water of all impurities, bacteria, viruses, and then mineralizes it with the most useful minerals. The use of such fine water is capable to adjust blood circulation and digestion, and still it is allowed to save considerably on the purchase of bottled water.

What to do if there is no filter

All of us since the childhood have got used to drink boiled water. Of course, this allows you to get rid of dangerous microorganisms, but after boiling it can become even more harmful to health:

• The salts precipitate during boiling.
• Oxygen is lost.
• Chlorine forms toxic compounds during boiling.
• A day after boiling, water becomes a favorable environment for the multiplication of all kinds of bacteria.

Since no one can guarantee the safety of water from the tap, and there is still no filter, microorganisms need to be disposed of without fail. Let's remember some rules of "useful" boiling:

• Before boiling water, allow it to settle for 2-3 hours. During this time most of the chlorine will evaporate.
• Turn off the kettle immediately after it boils. In this case, most of the trace elements will be preserved, and viruses and microbes will have time to die.
• Never store boiled water for longer than 24 hours.