Minimum and Maximum Acceptable TDS Level in Drinking Water
Drinking water should contain sufficient minerals to keep you healthy and should not contain excess minerals that become overloaded in the body. In this article, we will provide details about the acceptable minimum and maximum TDS (Total dissolved solids) Limits for drinking water.
| TDS Level (Milligram/Litter) | Palatability of Water |
| Less than 300 | Excellent |
| 300-500 | Good |
| 600-900 | Fair |
| 900-1200 | Poor |
| Above 1200 | Unacceptable |
Note: The Palatability of Water only describes the acceptability of the taste of water. It does not mean this should be healthy or unhealthy.
TDS Level in Drinking Water – Acceptable & Unacceptable
| TDS Level (Milligram/Litter) | Remarks |
| Less than 50 | Unacceptable because of lack of important minerals |
| 50 – 150 | Acceptable for Drinking (Excellent – where water is polluted with industrial wastes and sewage) |
| 150 – 250 | Good – Acceptable for Drinking (Healthiest in regard to cardiovascular health.) |
| 250 – 350 | Good – Acceptable drinking (Healthy in regard to cardiovascular health.) |
| 350 – 500 | Fair |
| 500 – 900 | Less Acceptable for Drinking |
| 900 – 1200 | Least acceptable for drinking; try to avoid drinking water with TDS level above 900 wherever possible |
| 1200 – 2000 | Very Least acceptable for drinking where other water sources are not available. |
| Above 2000 | Unacceptable for drinking |
- The Upper Limit of TDS level in drinking water set by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is 500 ppm (500 milligrams per liter).
- If water TDS level is less than 100, it may result in hair fall and heart diseases.
- Water with TDS level less than 100 has the high dissolvent capacity, which even dissolves a small quantity of plastic, in which it is kept. The dissolved plastic in water can cause cancer and can also reduce immunity. Plastic in water can also become a carrier for other toxins, heavy metals, arsenic, fluoride, or aluminum.
Verdict
However, there are different recommendations prescribed by different governments and organizations. In my personal opinion, nowadays water is polluted with chemicals, industrial waste, sewage, etc., which is actually very harmful to our health. It applies especially to India where industries are poorly regulated for disposal of these waste matters.
The above-suggested table should be fine where there is no water pollution. Otherwise, the following table is most recommendable in my personal opinion.
| Level of TDS parts per million (ppm) | Rating |
| Between 50 – 150 | Excellent (For everyone) |
| 150 – 250 | Good (for athletes) |
| 250 – 300 | Fair (Might be bad for kidneys) |
| 300 – 500 | Poor (Might be very bad for kidneys) |
| Above 1,200 | Unacceptable |
| Reference: This table is suggested by Kent RO. | |
In my opinion, a TDS range from 50 to 150 is best for drinking. In this TDS, most of recent RO systems remove the several harmful solutes.
When do we need RO Purifier?
If water has TDS level above 500 mg per litter (500 ppm), then you should use RO purifier.
Setting TDS limit in RO Purifier
You should set 50 to 150 ppm TDS limit in RO Purifier for drinking healthiest water.
If the TDS of water is low, are there some mineral salts or other ayur preparations available that can enhance its health properties?
tds is ok .how about hardness of water? its very important factor which is more important then TDS of water.hardness of water only effect on body of people which should be below 100 ppm.RO water is not measured by any supplier of its hardness n tds specially in second tier city of india.
Water from RO comes out with as water with 6-12 PPM TDS, and that is extremely unhealthy for you.
The TDS of bore water is measured as 373 so I installed RO plant. The water from the purifier is 37 whether the water is good for drinking.
If water is not polluted, then you can also drink water with TDS 373. For RO water, you should slightly raise TDS above 50 to preserve some important minerals.
Sir, I have fix my TDS between 60-70 i.e. 65 is this good for health or not kindly suggest me.
Good TDS range is between 150-500. It preserves the most of minerals in water that are required for good health.
However, if water is polluted with chemicals or industrial wastes, TDS 60-70 is good.
The TDS of water at my place is 156*10 ppm. Is it fit for drinking purposes?
Yes, it is suitable for drinking.
My drinking water TDS is 55 and raw water TDS is 90. What level is good for health?
In this case, 90 should be good. You don’t need RO system.
Hi, I have ‘bore water supply’ which is having TDS of 593. Is it safe to drink? This is in Bangalore residential area south Bangalore.
Yes, it is safe to consume.
Hi, I’m Priya our bore well waters TDS level is 283 ×10 ppm. So far for this problem, we are using reverse osmosis system. After using the osmosis system, the TDS level of water is 290 ppm. Now is the water good to drink?
Water with TDS 290 is likely good to drink.