AWWA JAW21954

Official and semi-official drinking water standards have been adopted by most of the industrialized nations in North America and Europe. The majority of drinking water professionals in Europe and North America agree that legally enforceable standards are necessary to ensure public health. Biologically safe water is the first priority, but now that this has, for the most part, been achieved, attention is being turned to inorganic contaminants and the pervasive organic contaminants that challenge water treatment technologies and analytical capabilities. This article compares the regulations, standards, and guidelines used in the United States, Europe, and Canada and those suggested by the World Health Organization. Includes 16 references, tables.