Water is a chemical compound that is essential for life on earth. The function of water for life can not be replaced by other compounds. Water can dissolve almost any kind of compound both organic compounds and inorganic compounds, so-called universal solvent. For humans, water plays a role in agriculture, industry and the needs of households such as bathing, washing and water needs in the human body itself.
As for plants, water is required as a reactant in the process of photosynthesis and hydrolysis. Meeting the needs for water used must meet the requirements in terms of quality and quantity that is sustainable. In the food processing industry, water is needed for various purposes, for example: washing, peeling bulbs or fruit, determining the quality of materials, raw materials process, medium heating or cooling, the formation of steam, sterilization, dissolve and wash the residue, protection against fire and the necessities other.
The water in the food industry plays an important role because it can affect the quality of food produced. The type of water used varies depending on the type of material is processed, hence the need for a standard for each type of processing. Water used in the industry generally must have terms of colorless, odorless, clear, it has no sense, it does not contain iron and manganese, as well as the acceptable bacteriological that is not detrimental to health and does not cause decay of food that is processed (Slamet Sudarmadji, 2003).
Water Quality Parameters
Water quality can be evaluated in terms of physical, chemical, and biological. Good water quality is not always available in nature, their residential and industrial development can threaten the preservation of clean water. Even in certain areas, the available water does not meet health requirements necessitating improvement efforts in a simple and modern. The quantity of water must have a sufficient quantity to be used as drinking water, washing and other domestic purposes.
Based Permenkes number 907 / Menkes / SK / VII / 2002 dated July 29, 2002 concerning requirements and Water Quality Monitoring, there are some requirements or parameters regarding the quality of water, both drinking water and clean water. The proficiency level parameters are physical parameters, chemical parameters, microbiological parameters and parameters of radioactivity. Water that meets the physical parameters is that water is colorless, odorless, tasteless, colorless, clear, and the temperature should be below the temperature of the air in a way that creates a feeling comfortable.
In terms of chemical parameters, good water is water that is not polluted by excessive by chemical substances that are harmful to health, among others, mercury (Hg), aluminum (Al), arsenic (As), barium (Ba), iron ( Fe), fluoride (F), Calcium (Ca), acidity (pH), and other chemicals. While the microbiological parameters of water used for everyday purposes must be free of pathogenic bacteria. Coli bacteria group, Salmonella, Clostridium perfingens which is an indicator of water contamination by pathogenic bacteria.