Water is essential in peoples everyday life.

It is used in washing, cleaning, watering

plants, taking a bath, and alike. It is also important in the hospital setting. Undeniably, water is
most commonly used for drinking. Drinking water comes from a variety of sources including
public water systems, private wells, or bottled water.
Qualitative and quantitative measurements are needed from time to time to constantly
monitor the quality of water from the various sources of supply because those measurements will
determine if the water is potable or not. Tests such as physical tests, chemical tests, and
bacteriological tests are usually used. Physical tests include examination of physical
characteristics such as odor, color, taste and turbidity. Temperature has to be likewise measured
since this affects the number of bacteria present in the water sample. Chemical tests on the other
hand are also done to determine the amounts of mineral and organic substances that affect water
quality. These include determining the pH, iron content and nitrate content and total dissolved
solids. Bacteriological tests show the presence of bacteria, characteristic of fecal pollution.
The pH of water is a measure of the acidbase equilibrium and, in most natural waters, is
controlled by the carbon dioxidebicarbonatecarbonate equilibrium system. An increased
carbon dioxide concentration will therefore lower pH, whereas a decrease will cause it to rise.
pH provides information about the source and treatment of that water.
Consuming excessively acidic or alkaline water is harmful. Drinking water must have a
pH value of 6.5-8.5 to fall within EPA .High-pH water has a slippery feel, tastes a bit like baking
soda, and may leave deposits on fixtures, low-pH water, on the other hand, may have a bitter or
metallic taste, and may contribute to fixture corrosion.
Low levels of nitrate may be found in drinking water. Nitrate is a water-soluble
compound formed when nitrogen from ammonia or other sources combines with oxygenated
water. However, high levels of nitrate in drinking water pose danger to infants. Common sources
of nitrate contamination include fertilizers, animal wastes, septic tanks, municipal sewage
treatment systems, and decaying plant debris. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
uses 10 mg/L as nitrogen as a mandatory national standard for public supplies under the Safe
Drinking Water Act. The 10 mg/L standard expressed as nitrogen is equivalent to 45 mg/L
expressed as nitrate. (IDPH, 2010)
Iron is necessary for our health. It plays a major role in human nutrition by helping in the
formation of the protein hemoglobin, which transports oxygen to all cells of the body. Iron is also
used in cellular metabolism and is found in many of the body's enzymes. Low iron stores in the
body can lead to iron deficiency, anemia and fatigue and can make you more susceptible to
infections.

The presence of fecal coliform bacteria in aquatic environments indicates that the water
has been contaminated with the fecal material of man or other animals. At the time this occurred,
the source water may have been contaminated by pathogens or disease producing bacteria or
viruses which can also exist in fecal material. Some waterborne pathogenic diseases include
typhoid fever, viral and bacterial gastroenteritis and hepatitis A. The presence of fecal
contamination is an indicator that a potential health risk exists for individuals exposed to this
water. Fecal coliform bacteria may occur in ambient water as a result of the overflow of domestic
sewage or nonpoint sources of human and animal waste. The presence of pathogens is
determined with indirect evidence by testing for an "indicator" organism such as coliform
bacteria. Present standards for the sanitary quality of water, foods and other materials, with
respect to fecal contamination, are based on concentrations of indicator bacteria.
The presence of fecal coliforms is a reliable indicator of fecal contamination. However,
the absence of fecal coliforms does not equate to the absence of fecal contamination, which is
one of the shortcomings of using fecal coliforms. The source of the contamination could be
animal excreta, wastewater, sludge, septage, or biosolids. Each of these wastes is derived entirely
or at least in part from the feces and urine of warm-blooded animals. Since enteric pathogens and
fecal coliforms are also excreted by warm-blooded animals, detection of fecal coliforms
indicates the potential presence of pathogens.