WHO/EU drinking water standards comparative table
|
The EU standards are more recent (1998), complete and strict than the WHO standards (1993). Some examples are: But in some cases the EU guidelines are less strict than the WHO’s: Here is a comparative table of both WHO and EU standards: |
|
WHO standards |
EU standards | |
|
1993 |
1998 | |
|
Suspended solids |
No guideline |
Not mentioned |
|
COD |
No guideline |
Not mentioned |
|
BOD |
No guideline |
Not mentioned |
|
Oxidisability |
5.0 mg/l O2 | |
|
No guideline |
Not mentioned | |
|
No guideline(1) |
Not mentioned | |
|
No guideline(2) |
Not mentioned | |
|
250 microS/cm |
250 microS/cm | |
|
Color |
No guideline(3) |
Not mentioned |
|
Dissolved oxygen |
No guideline(4) |
Not mentioned |
|
No guideline(5) |
Not mentioned | |
|
No guideline |
Not mentioned | |
|
cations | ||
|
(positive ions) | ||
|
0.2 mg/l |
0.2 mg/l | |
|
Ammonia (NH4) |
No guideline |
0.50 mg/l |
|
0.005 mg/l |
0.005 mg/l | |
|
0.01 mg/l |
0.01 mg/l | |
|
0.3 mg/l |
Not mentioned | |
|
No guideline |
Not mentioned | |
|
0.3 mg/l |
1.00 mg/l | |
|
Not mentioned |
0.01 mg/l | |
|
0.003 mg/l |
0.005 mg/l | |
|
0.05 mg/l |
0.05 mg/l | |
|
2 mg/l |
2.0 mg/l | |
|
No guideline(6) |
0.2 | |
|
0.01 mg/l |
0.01 mg/l | |
|
0.5 mg/l |
0.05 mg/l | |
|
0.001 mg/l |
0.001 mg/l | |
|
0.07 mg/l |
Not mentioned | |
|
0.02 mg/l |
0.02 mg/l | |
|
50 mg/l |
Not mentioned | |
|
0.01 mg/l |
0.01 mg/l | |
|
No guideline |
Not mentioned | |
|
200 mg/l |
200 mg/l | |
|
Tin (Sn) inorganic |
No guideline |
Not mentioned |
|
1.4 mg/l |
Not mentioned | |
|
3 mg/l |
Not mentioned | |
|
anions | ||
|
(negative ions) | ||
|
250 mg/l |
250 mg/l | |
|
Cyanide (CN) |
0.07 mg/l |
0.05 mg/l |
|
1.5 mg/l |
1.5 mg/l | |
|
500 mg/l |
250 mg/l | |
|
(See Nitrogen) |
50 mg/l | |
|
(See Nitrogen) |
0.50 mg/l | |
|
microbiological | ||
|
parameters | ||
| Escherichia coli | Not mentioned | 0 in 250 ml |
|
Enterococci |
Not mentioned |
0 in 250 ml |
|
Pseudomonas | ||
|
aeruginosa |
Not mentioned |
0 in 250 ml |
|
Clostridium | ||
|
perfringens |
Not mentioned |
0 in 100 ml |
|
Coliform bacteria |
Not mentioned |
0 in 100 ml |
|
Colony count 22oC |
Not mentioned |
100/ml |
|
Colony count 37oC |
Not mentioned |
20/ml |
|
other parameters | ||
|
Acrylamide |
Not mentioned |
0.0001 mg/l |
|
Benzene (C6H6) |
Not mentioned |
0.001 mg/l |
|
Benzo(a)pyrene |
Not mentioned |
0.00001 mg/l |
|
Chlorine dioxide (ClO2) |
0.4 mg/l | |
|
1,2-dichloroethane |
Not mentioned |
0.003 mg/l |
|
Epichlorohydrin |
Not mentioned |
0.0001 mg/l |
|
Pesticides |
Not mentioned |
0.0001 mg/l |
|
Pesticides - Total |
Not mentioned |
0.0005 mg/l |
|
PAHs |
Not mentioned |
0.0001 mg/l |
|
Tetrachloroethene |
Not mentioned |
0.01 mg/l |
|
Trichloroethene |
Not mentioned |
0.01 mg/l |
|
Trihalomethanes |
Not mentioned |
0.1 mg/l |
|
Tritium (H3) |
Not mentioned |
100 Bq/l |
|
Vinyl chloride |
Not mentioned |
0.0005 mg/l |
(1) Desirable: Less than 5 NTU
(2) Desirable: 6.5-8.5
(3) Desirable: 15 mg/l Pt-Co
(4) Desirable: less than 75% of the saturation concentration
(5) Desirable: 150-500 mg/l
(6) Desirable: 0.3 mg/l
General information on the drinking water standards