ABSTRACT
Additives to drinking water may be grouped into two broad general classes: direct, chemicals which are added intentionally for the treatment of water; and indirect, chemicals which are added unintentionally by contact of the water with various materials and items of equipment. The World Health Organization has in final draft form, Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality, a document intended for use in developing standards or alternative control procedures for all drinking water. To identify contaminants which are candidates for regulation, national monitoring surveys have been conducted. All water treatment chemicals and indirect additive products should be considered in the evaluation process. Decisions must be related to risk, not detection capability. And, there is an established, effective alternative to official regulation through voluntary, consensus standards and objective, third-party testing and certification of related products. The Joint Committee proposes the standard to the Council of Public Health Consultants, a group of 28 public health professionals with no industry representation.
