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The actual amount varies with age, body weight and chemistry. (this is my excuse for not posting an amount. I'll ask a doctor tomorrow, assuming I remember to do so).
The condition known as "water intoxication" or "hyponatremia" results from drinking so much fluid that the amount sodium in the blood is too diluted to keep body function going. You see the condition in runners who don't replace enough electrolytes (through the ever-popular sports beverages) and in some mental patients who have a condition called "psychogenic polydipsia" which means "drinks too much damn water." Occasionally we have someone on the unit that has to be monitored for drinking water, which is a pain in the ass ... because they need to be restricted from areas with water coolers and faucets.
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