Potable water – also known as drinking water, is water that is safe to drink or use for food

preparation. Water that is safe for humans to drink is called potable water. For water to be
potable, it must have sufficiently low levels of dissolved salts and microbes. Potable water is
used for sanitary purposes such as drinking fountains, showers, toilets, hand wash basins,
cooking, etc.

SOURCES OF POTABLE WATER

1. Municipal or commercial – water supplied by water districts
2. Ground water (wells)
3. Surface water (lakes, rivers, streams, shallow well)
4. Rainwater
5. Seawater

Water sources can be classified as:

1) Protected sources – are covered by stonework, concrete or other materials that

prevent the entry of physical, chemical and biological contaminants.
a) The water source is fully enclosed or capped and no surface water can
run directly into it.
b) People do not step into the water while collecting it.
c) Latrines, solid waste pits, animal excreta and other sources of pollution
are located as far away as possible from the water source and on
ground lower in elevation that the water source.
d) There is no stagnant water within 5 meters of the water source.
(Reasons: It could encourage animals to come there for water, and they
could contaminate the water source. Stagnant water can also become a
breeding site for mosquitoes.)
e) The water collection buckets or hand pump at the source are kept clean.

2) Unprotected sources – are those with no barrier or other structures to

protect the water from contamination. All surface water sources, such as
lakes, rivers and streams or poorly constructed wells, are examples of
unprotected sources. Water from unprotected sources cannot be
considered safe to drink unless it has been treated.

The terms “improved” and “unimproved” are also used to describe water
sources, and are equivalent to “protected” and “unprotected” categories of water
sources.
Below is the “drinking water ladder” which describes the steps in improvement of
quality of water supply depending on the type of source. Surface water is at the
bottom of the ladder and piped water into the household is at the top.

GROUNDWATER – is defined as the water found underground within rocks.

Its presence depends primarily of the type of rock. While groundwater is a
safe source of drinking water, it is susceptible to contamination. Pollutants
 that contaminate groundwater may be some of the same pollutants that
contaminate surface water.

Permeable rocks have tiny spaces between the solid rock particles that
allow water and other fluids to pass through and to be held within the rock
structure. The layers of rock that hold groundwater are called aquifers. The
level of water below ground is called the water table. Groundwater can be
extracted from wells or collected from springs. The aquifers can be
penetrated by wells to provide a clean water source.

The two main sources of groundwater:

1) Groundwater
2) Surface water

Importance of Groundwater:
1) Supplies drinking water
2) Helps grow our food.
3) Used for irrigation to grow crops.
4) Important component in many industrial processes.

Potential Sources of Groundwater Contamination:

1) Storage tanks. May contain gasoline, oil, chemicals, or other types of

liquids and they can either be above or below the ground.
2) Septic systems
3) Uncontrolled hazardous wastes
 4) Landfills
5) Chemical (i.e. pesticides) and Road salts (used to melt ice on the roads)
6) Atmospheric contaminants

Groundwater Treatment – are applied to neutralize problematic substances or

contaminants in the groundwater so they can be used foir water supply.

1) Biological Groundwater Treatment – this method uses organic compounds

to remove contaminants. Certain enzymes, microorganisms, bacteria and
plants can remove harmful chemicals from groundwater.

2) Chemical Groundwater Treatment – this method uses various chemicals

and mixed into the water to dissolve minerals or reduce heavy metal levels.
Typically, the chemicals are either safe to drink or dissolve naturally in the
water.

3) Physical Groundwater Treatment – this method uses machines to separate

the contaminants from the fresh water. Treatment plants combine physical
techniques with chemical or biological, but you can reduce the amount of
purification work required when you get rid of most of the material as the
first step.

SURFACE WATER – is water located on top of the Earth’s surface such as rivers,
creeks, and wetlands.

Surface water originates mostly from rainfall and is a mixture of surface run-off
and ground water. The main uses of surface water include drinking water and
other public uses, irrigation uses, and for use by the thermoelectric power
industry to cool electricity-generating equipment..

10 Uses of Rainwater

1) Drinking and cooking (by using a filtration system, boiling or distilling the
water)
2) Bathing and laundry
3) Flushing toilets
4) Watering lawns, gardens and houseplants
5) Composting
6) Water for wildlife, pets or livestock
7) Outdoor ponds and water features
8) Rinsing vegetables
 9) Washing vehicles and equipment
10)Fire protection

SEAWATER – is water that makes up the oceans and seas, covering more than
70% of Earth’s surface. Seawater is a complex mixture of 96.5% water, 2.5% salts,
and smaller amounts of other substances, including dissolved inorganic and
organic materials, particulates, and a few atmospheric gases.