WATER QUALITY FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION FROM THE PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM

Adequate, safe, and accessible water constitutes an essential resource for life is an indispensable factor for the survival of humanity. Water quality affects human health, living conditions and enhances the socio­economic development of a biological community. That’s why improving access to safe drinking water can result in tangible benefits to health and every effort should be made to achieve a satisfactory quality of drinking water. In order to ensure uncontaminated water for water supply, industry, and agriculture, water quality is defined by microbiological, biological, chemical, and physical indicators. The content of feces and harmful chemical compounds as well as the presence of an unpleasant smell are the main indicators of water pollution. Water monitoring is regulated with the aim to protect human health from the adverse effects of polluted water by monitoring indicator parameters. Regulation for water quality parameters is provided by the Ordinance on Compliance Parameters, Analysis Methods, Monitoring and Water Safety Plans for Human Consumption and Register of Legal Entities that Perform Activity of Public Water Supply. For the purpose of proving drinking water safety, a water sampling was performed at ten different locations, which are part of the water supply network of the town of Virovitica in Croatia and its surroundings. The results showed that all the analyzed parameters (pH, temperature, nitrates, nitrites, ammonium, conductivity, chlorides, BOD, turbidity, iron, manganese, Escherichia coli, fecal coliforms, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) were in accordance with the Ordinance, i.e., that the quality of water for human consumption was satisfactory.