AFMAN48-138_IP governs sanitary control and surveillance of land-based field water supplies in operational environments and training exercises.
View AFMAN48-138_IP on armypubs.army.mil
AFMAN48-138_IP revises Military Field Water Standards and describes procedures for recommending raw water sources, approving treated water, and assessing health risks. It also covers water quality monitoring, medical surveillance, field water vulnerabilities, and waste materials from water treatment activities.
Applies to: Applies to military, civilian, and contractor personnel concerned with the location, purification, distribution, protection, sanitary control, and surveillance of operational environment water supplies – particularly those intended for drinking, cooking, showering, and personal sanitation.
Water intended for drinking must be readily available in adequate quantities to prevent dehydration among deployed personnel. (paragraph 2–1)
Drinking water must be potable or it may produce adverse health outcomes in those who drink it. (paragraph 2–1)
PM personnel review the results of water quality tests that are performed in the field as well as at approved remote laboratories, and compare those results to the appropriate MFWS. (paragraph 2–2)
In the event that PM personnel cannot test reverse osmosis water purification unit (ROWPU)-produced water in a timely manner, Senior Noncommissioned Officers (NCOs) and supervisors of water production systems and operations may distribute the water for drinking and other activities on a provisional basis, as soon as documented operational monitoring (e.g., pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), turbidity, color, taste, odor, and chlorine residual) verifies that the treatment equipment is functioning properly. (paragraph 2–2)
Two sets of MFWS exist: short-term potability (STP) standards for up to 30 days, and long-term potability (LTP) standards for longer than 30 days. (paragraph 2–2)