A review on violation of drinking water specifications in water supply and research publications

Water contains many chemical constituents, some of which are harmful to human beings. Epidemiological and hydrochemical studies identified those chemical characteristics, and administrators brought out drinking water standards to ensure a safe water supply. Though well-laid down procedures and regulations exist at different levels, people still suffer from scores of waterborne diseases due to violation or non-compliance of such regulations by people engaged in the water supply. Similarly, it can be noticed that inter-disciplinary researchers involved in water chemistry and human health misquote the drinking water standards leading to the propagation of distorted information. Ignorance or lack of complete knowledge on specific fine points about the drinking water specifications (DWS) could cause these inadvertent omissions. Intricacies and fine print of drinking water guidelines/regulations/standards of World Health Organization (WHO) and India are discussed. Discrepancies in using these standards by different user agencies and researchers are illustrated. Ambiguities in the drinking water standards that could confuse are deliberated. The review paper intends to bring to light the shortcomings in the implementation of DWS. It also aimed to encourage scientists and experts to use the information about DWS with absolute care and utilize the latest and genuine DWS obtained from an authentic source. The Paper also emphasizes the necessity for impetus in research on water contamination and adverse effects on human beings in the light of tremendous progress in analytical chemistry and medical sciences. The findings can be used to update the DWS at regular intervals.