ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the components in drinking water and chemicals. It deals mainly with the question of drinking water standards and guidelines; in particular, discusses the World Health Organization's (WHO) new guidelines for drinking water quality and the Directive of the Council of the European Communities of July 15, 1980, relating to the quality of water intended for human consumption. It recognizes that treatment technologies that are feasible in advanced countries may be quite impracticable in developing countries, and that supplies for rural villages may require different considerations from those for large metropolitan areas. By providing a common basis for considering health aspects associated with contaminants in drinking water. In contrast to the WHO Guidelines, which are advisory in nature and provide a scientific basis for countries to develop their own standards, the European Community Directive of July 15, 1980, relating to the quality of water intended for human consumption establishes finite standards to be respected by Member States.
