Distilled water, as recognized in the Pharmacopoeia, ninth decennial revision 1916, is described as "A colorless limpid liquid, without odor or taste and neutral to the official indicators.....It should give no reaction for ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, sulphates, chlorids, carbon dioxid. When 100 mils are evaporated on a water bath to dryness not more than 0.001 gram of residue should remain."

Further, the Pharmacopoeia requires that distilled water should contain no organic matter. Distilled water is often used for beverage purposes, but only in limited quantities. It is rarely distributed for public consumption, but is usually prepared on the premises where it is consumed, except in the case of bottled waters or those which are regarded as imitations or artificial waters. Distilled water has toxic properties for plants probably due to lack of plant food, and except for the reason that it is likely to be sterile and free from all soluble impurities is not highly regarded as a beverage. It is usually quite free of dissolved gases, has a flat and insipid taste, and does not equal in potable properties water from springs and wells.