Water Quality Standards/Legislation

Water quality Standards & Guidelines

Water Quality Criteria -- Levels of water quality expected to render a body of water suitable for its designated use. Criteria are based on specific levels of pollutants that would make the water harmful if used for drinking, swimming, farming, fish production, or industrial processes.

Water quality standards are set of norms, regulations and rules which have been adopted by a country and these are legally binding. If a private water company operates in this country and it is supplying domestic water, then it has to legally abide to the rules set in the Country's water quality standards. Setting water quality standards can be very long and very costly and requires expertise in various fields. So many countries relies on the guidelines provide by international organisations, such as WHO (World Health Organisation).

Some useful information

• WHO water quality guidelines
• New Zealand - Drinking Water Standards
• Australia Water Quality Guidelines
• Fact Sheet Australia