Define potable water as water that is safe to drink.

Potable water is water that is safe for human consumption. It must meet health and safety standards, meaning it contains no harmful levels of dissolved salts, bacteria, viruses or chemical contaminants. The water should taste acceptable, have a neutral pH, and be free from visible impurities. Regulatory bodies set limits on parameters such as total dissolved solids, microbial counts and specific chemical concentrations to ensure that drinking water does not pose a health risk. In practice, potable water is produced by treating raw sources—such as rivers, lakes or groundwater—through filtration, disinfection and sometimes desalination before it reaches households and businesses.