What is BS EN 14718 – Chlorine demand of organic materials on water for human consumption about?
BS EN 14718 is a European Standard that discusses the influence of organic materials on water intended for human consumption. The main objective of BS EN 14718 is to provide best industry test methods to ensure the water supplied is safe for human consumption, such that health risks arising from consumption of contaminated water are minimized.
BS EN 14718 specifies a method for determining the chlorine demand of organic materials intended for use in contact with drinking water.
BS EN 14718 is applicable to factory made and site applied products used for the distribution, transport and storage of drinking water.
Note 1: BS EN 14718 does not cover the use of high levels of chlorine to disinfect products when they are put into service.
Who is BS EN 14718 - Chlorine demand of organic materials on water for human consumption? 
BS EN 14718 on chlorine demand of organic materials on water for human consumption is relevant to: 
- Water treatment plants
- Quality control and chemical analysis/testing bodies
- Water storage plants
- Local authorities
- Regulatory bodies
Why should you use BS EN 14718 - Chlorine demand of organic materials on water for human consumption?
Chlorine demand is the ability of a material in contact with chlorinated water to remove/reduce the concentration of free chlorine in the water compared with a reference sample. It is the amount which reacts with the substances in water, leaving behind an inactive form of chlorine. The measurement of chlorine demand is an important step for the control of water treatment processes for adequate disinfection.
BS EN 14718 provides best industry guidance on the reagents, requirements of apparatus for assessment of chlorine demand, samples of product and test pieces, preparation of test apparatus and test water and walks you through the procedure.
BS EN 14718 also provides guidelines to test procedures. For wastewater complying with test conditions, these test procedures are carried out using the chlorine demand test.
As a result, adopting BS EN 14718 requirements and test methods can help in the accurate evaluation whether the water supplied is fit for consumption. Moreover, the presence of chlorine residual via this assessment is an indicator that sufficient chlorine was added initially to the water to inactivate the bacteria and the water is adequately protected from recontamination during storage. This can ultimately be beneficial in maintaining public health and safety.
