Access to safe drinking-water is important as a health and development issue at national, regional and local levels. In some regions, it has been shown that investments in water supply and sanitation can yield a net economic benefit, as the reductions in adverse health effects and health-care costs outweigh the costs of undertaking the interventions. This is true for investments ranging from major water supply infrastructure through to water treatment in the home. The health of drinking water is especially important for ships at sea and the crew on them.

Drinking water should be sampled and analyzed according to the analysis method in the drinking water quality guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO). Testing parameters are listed as below: