Everyday living needs a good drink of clean safe water for healthy living. Fluids alone cannot become compensation for liquid intake.

One of the most basic expectations of citizens from industrialized nations is that tap water will be clean and safe. Few people realize that this is an extraordinary expectation; one that many people in the world cannot share. With the world Health Organization estimating that one sixth of the human population currently lacks access to an improved water supply , countries around the globe are beset with health problems due to water borne diseases and chemical contamination of drinking water.

In most industrialized countries, the public takes it for granted that what comes from the tap will be clean and healthy. They're generally aware that protecting the basic quality of drinking water is a function of government.

Although there are a number of ways for the quality of drinking water to be compromised, not all substances in water are contaminants, and not all contaminants are equally dangerous. Even dangerous contaminants may be less than toxic at lower concentrations. The point is to guarantee water that is safe and wholesome, and of the least possible risk to health, according to the best scientific understanding and cost benefit analysis.

Primary drinking water standards are currently in place for possible contaminants. In addition to the sorts of microbial contamination that plague much of the world, the standards regulate substances ranging from cyanide to uranium. Some of these, like atrazine pesticides, are entirely the result of human activity. Others, including arsenic, are more likely to come from natural deposits.

Ideally, setting the Primary Drinking Water Standards would be based entirely on sound scientific evidence to evaluate possible risks. In reality, risk assessment remains an inexact science, so a number of political and economic factors enter into decision making.

The public may not approve of their water being contaminated but, at some point, will usually accept minute amounts of substances in water, if it's clear that the risk is minimal. On the other hand, drinking water safety can be a politically volatile issue. Public reaction will not tolerate enormous uncertainty or proven health threats.

A relatively new factor being taken into account is the net benefit of controlling particular contaminants. Keeping water free of pathogens is a good example of this issue. While the use of disinfectants can greatly reduce the possibility of microbial contaminants, the disinfectants themselves - or their by products -may also cause health problems. Treatment technologies such as filtration play an important role in balancing benefits and risks.

 - Kabir Jerath