Examples are Salmonella spp. Water can also carry pathogenic protozoa as well as eggs or cysts of intestinal worms. Iron bacteria may infest some wells. Physical standards Physical properties of water, such as temperature, relate more to aesthetics than to health or safety. Colour has little to do with acceptability, but may indicate the presence of other contaminants.
Turbidity refers to minute particles suspended in the water.
Water may be unsafe to drink if the turbidity is caused by waste material of human, animal or industrial origin. Turbidity caused by suspended clay and silt pose more of a nuisance than a health risk to pigs. Chemical standards Chemical evaluation of water is of greatest interest to pork producers because excessive mineral levels cause most of the problems associated with drinking water. The chemical analyses most commonly performed on well water are listed in Table 2. The primary tests provide a useful overview of the quality of a water sample.