Grievance: Public Health Matter.
Sanjeev Goyal
PMOPG/E/2026/0066272
Concerned Department: NITI Aayog
Over time, the installation of water purifiers, particularly RO systems, has become a necessity in most homes and offices. RO systems remove dissolved solids, including both harmful contaminants and beneficial minerals like calcium and magnesium. So, these systems effectively remove impurities, they also significantly reduce the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) level in water.
Given the fluctuating TDS levels in both groundwater and municipal supply, maintaining a consistent output TDS level through RO systems is challenging. From a taste perspective, water with a lower TDS level (around 60–70 ppm) often tastes sweeter and is commonly perceived as better. However, from a health standpoint, such low TDS levels is totally undesirable, as essential minerals are depleted. Health experts generally recommend a TDS range of about 150–200 ppm for drinking water.
At present, there is no standardized mechanism in most purifiers to ensure or regulate a minimum TDS level. Many packaged drinking water brands also maintain relatively low TDS levels (around 70–75 ppm), reinforcing the perception that lower TDS is preferable.
Excessively low TDS levels contributes to mineral deficiencies over time. Additionally, RO systems not only waste significant quantities of water but also remove beneficial minerals, resulting in demineralized water that is not ideal for long-term consumption. This has broader implications for public health and unnecessarily increasing the healthcare burden.
It is also noteworthy that most purifiers available in the market do not provide a clear display of TDS levels and a simple mechanism for users to adjust and maintain the desired range. As a result, many consumers may unknowingly consume water with suboptimal TDS levels.
In view of the above, it is suggested that a study be undertaken to examine the following:
- Whether a minimum mandatory TDS level should be prescribed for packaged drinking water.
- Whether regulatory standards should mandate a minimum output TDS level for water purifiers, below which they should not operate.
- Whether regulations should be introduced to require the integration of RO reject water with rainwater harvesting systems to minimize wastage.
