---
title: "Potable, wholesome, polluted, contaminated water"
subject: "Water Supply Engineering"
chapter: 1
key: "semester_5/water_supply_engineering:potable-wholesome-polluted-contaminated"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_5/water_supply_engineering/potable-wholesome-polluted-contaminated
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Potable, wholesome, polluted, contaminated water

Water Supply Engineering · Chapter 1: Introduction

- Asked in: 2071 Shrawan, 4 marks
- Video: [What is Wholesome water Sterilized water , Contaminated water , Potable water , Polluted water etc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yk2EzHF7C6Y) — Civil Engineering Power
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_5/water_supply_engineering/potable-wholesome-polluted-contaminated
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_5/water_supply_engineering/chapter-1

## Question

Differentiate potable and wholesome water, and polluted and contaminated water. Write down the requirements of wholesome water in brief.

## Short answer

Potable water is safe to drink but may have unpleasant taste/colour; wholesome water is also clear, odourless, palatable, with minerals within limits. Polluted water is degraded by waste and may not harm health; contaminated water contains pathogens or harmful chemicals and is always dangerous. Wholesome water must be pathogen-free, clear, palatable, pH 6.5-8.5, minerals within limits, non-corrosive.

## Answer

| Basis | Potable water | Wholesome water |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Safe to drink; causes no immediate harm | Safe, and also pleasant and suitable for all domestic uses |
| Taste, colour, odour | May be unpleasant | Colourless, odourless, palatable |
| Minerals | May contain objectionable salts | Within acceptable limits |
| Example | Safe but hard or slightly salty well water | Treated water meeting the standards |

| Basis | Polluted water | Contaminated water |
|---|---|---|
| Cause | Contains waste, organic or industrial matter that makes it unfit for use | Contains disease-causing organisms or harmful chemicals |
| Effect | Aesthetic and ecological damage; may or may not harm health | Directly dangerous to health |
| Example | Water with sewage discharge or oil | Water with cholera bacteria or arsenic |

Pollution is the wider term; contamination mostly refers to a health hazard.

#### Requirements of wholesome water
- Free from pathogens and toxic substances.
- Clear, colourless, odourless and pleasant in taste.
- Contains minerals within permitted limits (hardness, iron, chloride, TDS, etc.).
- pH about 6.5 to 8.5.
- Not corrosive and not scale-forming.
- Available in adequate quantity and at a suitable temperature.

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. Compared with potable water, wholesome water is also:
   A. Boiled only
   B. Pleasant in taste, colour and odour with minerals in limits
   C. Free of all minerals
   D. Distilled
   Answer: B. Wholesome water adds acceptability and suitability for all domestic uses to safety. (Key point: Potable vs wholesome)

2. Contaminated water differs from polluted water because it:
   A. Is always clear
   B. Only has aesthetic damage
   C. Contains disease-causing organisms or harmful chemicals, directly dangerous to health
   D. Has oil only
   Answer: C. Contamination is health related; pollution is a wider term that may not harm health. (Key point: Contaminated water)

3. Which is an example of polluted (not necessarily harmful) water?
   A. Water with cholera bacteria
   B. Water with arsenic
   C. Treated standard water
   D. Water with sewage discharge or oil
   Answer: D. Sewage or oil pollutes water; cholera bacteria or arsenic are contamination examples. (Key point: Example)

## Related in Water Supply Engineering

- [Pure/impure, potable/wholesome, polluted/contaminated](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fwater_supply_engineering%3Adifferentiate-water-types) — Water Supply Engineering, chapter 1
- [Polluted, contaminated water; function in body](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fwater_supply_engineering%3Adefine-polluted-contaminated-function) — Water Supply Engineering, chapter 1
- [Potable, wholesome water; function in body](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fwater_supply_engineering%3Adefine-potable-wholesome-function) — Water Supply Engineering, chapter 1
- [Objectives of supply; wholesome water requirements](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fwater_supply_engineering%3Aobjectives-requirements-wholesome) — Water Supply Engineering, chapter 1, asked 2×
- [Wholesome water and its requirements](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fwater_supply_engineering%3Awholesome-water-requirements) — Water Supply Engineering, chapter 1, asked 2×