Effectively monitoring and regulating water sources is vitally important. Ensuring that water supplies are managed sustainably and maintained at the necessary purity for drinking is a continuous challenge. To meet this need, global governments and regulatory bodies have established wide ranging legislation relating to identification, quantification and regulation of known pollutants, including pesticides, pharmaceuticals, anions and trace metals. In addition, these regulatory authorities have developed a framework for addressing emerging contaminants.
The main regulations are those developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and the European Union (EU), the latter in the form of the Water Framework Directive (EU WFD). Together, these regulations provide a foundation for water quality control legislation around the world.
