ABSTRACT
Poor communication between water professionals and the general public lies at the heart of the doubts often harboured against their water suppliers and provides fertile breeding ground for public scepticism and fear. Proper understanding, interpretation and communication regarding water quality and its standards are key prerequisites for chemists working in this field. Hundreds of standardised tests are available for the testing of drinking water; each testing for a different parameter. The United States Environmental Protection Agency provides the most comprehensive countrybased drinking water standard. In South Africa, the South African National Standard is regularly updated by an expert committee invited by the South African Bureau of Standards, with the latest standard at the time of writing released in 2015. Persistent Organic Pollutants form a small, clearly defined group of organic compounds that resist photolytic, chemical and biological degradation and have known toxic properties.
