While implementing the Rural Water Supply Schemes, the following norms may be adopted for providing potable drinking water to the population:

40 litres per capita per day (lpcd) for humans to meet the following requirements:

In addition, provision should be allowed at 30 lpcd for animals in hot and cold desert/ecosystems in 227 blocks of 36 DDP districts already identified in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, H.P., J&K, Karnataka and Rajasthan. With normal output of 12 litres per minute, one handpump or standpost is estimated for every 250 persons. In case of an independent habitation/hamlet/Wadi/Tola/Majra/Mohra etc, if their population is less than 250 persons and there is no potable water source within its location, one source may be provided . A rural habitation not having any safe water source with a permanently settled population of 20 households or 100 persons, whichever is more, may be taken as the unit for coverage with funds under the ARWSP. However, the State Government could cover any habitation regardless of its size/population/number of households with funds under the MNP. DDP areas and SC/ST habitations with less than 100 persons can, however, be covered under the ARWSP.