Operator terms · Water
What is potable water?
Potable water is water that is safe to drink. It meets the health standards for drinking water, having been treated and disinfected to remove or inactivate contaminants and organisms. Making and delivering potable water is the whole job of a public water system and its operators.
Last reviewed 2026-08-03
What makes water potable
Treatment removes particles and contaminants, and disinfection inactivates organisms, so the finished water meets drinking-water standards. A disinfectant residual keeps it safe through the distribution system.
Potable versus non-potable
Non-potable water is not safe to drink, such as raw source water or reclaimed water for irrigation. Keeping the two apart, and preventing cross-connections, protects the potable supply.
Common questions
- Does potable mean treated?
- It means safe to drink, which for a public supply comes from treatment and disinfection.
- What is non-potable water?
- Water not safe to drink, like raw source water or reclaimed irrigation water.
- How is potable water kept safe?
- By treatment, disinfection, a residual, and cross-connection control.