6 Standards for Cleaner Water | ASTM Standardization News

It’s no overstatement to call water one of the most important resources on the planet.

The human body is made up of 60% water. It’s involved in nearly every major life process. And most lifeforms can’t go more than a few days without it.

Fortunately, Earth has a lot of water. Nearly three-quarters of the planet’s surface is covered in it, in fact, although it isn’t always well managed. In addition to salty ocean water that is not safe to drink, freshwater sources can be contaminated with runoff, waste products, chemical pollutants, and more, drastically reducing our access to fresh, clean water. 

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, more than 780 million people worldwide don’t have access to safe drinking water, and an estimated 2.5 billion people (35% of the world’s population) lack access to proper sanitation facilities to keep their local water sources clean.

READ MORE: Standards for the Environment

ASTM International’s water committee (D19) was formed in part to address these shortcomings. The group has worked since 1932 to create standards and guidelines that help the world’s water suppliers and treatment providers maintain a clean, healthy water supply for all. It’s one of ASTM’s largest and longest-running committees, with jurisdiction over more than 290 standards focused on: water sampling and analysis; surface and ground water measurement; water cleaning and filtration product development; related terminology; and more. 

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