Types of Water Used in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Potable Water (PTW):

Source: Municipal supply or borewell.
Use: For non-product applications like initial cleaning, utilities, and as feed water for further purification.
Must meet: WHO or local drinking water standards.

Purified Water (PW):

Use: For formulation of non-sterile products, equipment cleaning, and as feed for WFI generation.
Obtained by: RO (Reverse Osmosis), deionization, or distillation.
Must meet: USP, EP, or IP pharmacopeial standards.

Water for Injection (WFI):

Use: For parenteral products, sterile preparations, and final rinsing of sterilized equipment.
Produced by: Distillation or double-pass RO.
Must be free from endotoxins and meet stringent microbial limits.

Pure Steam (Clean Steam):

Use: For sterilization of equipment, vessels, and piping systems.
Generated from: WFI quality water.
Highly Purified Water (HPW): (as per EP)
Use: When WFI quality is required but not necessarily for injection use.