Drinking water Technology, Eawag, developed a method by which hazard maps could be produced for geogenic toxic substances in groundwater. This provides an efficient way of determining which wells should be tested. Parameters for drinking water quality typically fall within three categories: Physical and chemical parameters include heavy metals, trace organic compounds, total suspended solids (TSS), and turbidity. Microbiological parameters include Coliform bacteria, "E. coli", and specific pathogenic species of bacteria (such as cholera-causing "Vibrio cholerae"), viruses, and protozoan parasites. Chemical parameters tend to pose more of a chronic health risk through buildup of heavy metals although some components like nitrates/nitrites and
Drinking water North America and Europe have almost achieved universal basic drinking water services. According to the World Health Organization, "access to safe drinking-water is essential to health, a basic human right and a component of effective policy for health protection." The amount of drinking water required is variable. It depends on physical activity, age, health, and environmental conditions. In a temperate climate under normal conditions, adequate water intake is about for adult women and for adult men. Physical exercise and heat exposure cause loss of water and therefore may induce thirst and greater water intake. Physically active individuals in hot climates