北美和欧洲的大多数工业化国家都采用了官方和半官方的饮用水标准。欧洲和北美的大多数饮用水专业人士都同意，法律强制执行的标准对于确保公共健康是必要的。生物安全的水是首要任务，但现在，这在很大程度上已经实现，人们的注意力正转向无机污染物和无处不在的有机污染物，它们挑战水处理技术和分析能力。本文比较了美国、欧洲和加拿大使用的法规、标准和指南，以及世界卫生组织建议的法规、标准和指南。 包括16个参考文献和表格。

Official and semi-official drinking water standards have been adopted by most of the industrialized nations in North America and Europe. The majority of drinking water professionals in Europe and North America agree that legally enforceable standards are necessary to ensure public health. Biologically safe water is the first priority, but now that this has, for the most part, been achieved, attention is being turned to inorganic contaminants and the pervasive organic contaminants that challenge water treatment technologies and analytical capabilities. This article compares the regulations, standards, and guidelines used in the United States, Europe, and Canada and those suggested by the World Health Organization. Includes 16 references, tables.