[Actual standards for drinking water quality]

Actual recommendations concerning drinking water quality are presented in WHO "Guidelines for drinking water quality" published in 1992. Regulations which are obligatory in the European Union countries are published in Directive 80/778/EEC. In 1995 a proposal of a new Directive was elaborated. In Poland the regulations given in the disposition of MZiOS (Ministry of Health and Social Welfare)-Dz. U. nr 18 poz. 72 of 1977 with later changes-Dz.U. nr 35 poz. 205 of 1990 are obligatory. At present this disposition is under revision: Comparison of above mentioned regulations of EU and WHO with Polish regulations enables the following conclusions: The highest permissible concentrations of individual constituents dissolved in water listed in the Directive 80/778/EEC are in agreement with those given in the disposition of MZiOS of 1990. Parametric values in the draft project of the new Directive are in good accordance with those presented in the draft project of the disposition of MZiOS, except of the permissible concentrations of nitrites, cyanides, iron, acryloamide and vinyl chloride, which are in accordance with health criteria recommended by WHO. Only permissible lead concentration is in Poland twice greater than proposed by the WHO guidelines for drinking water. In Polish regulation the highest permissible concentrations are defined for greater number of substances including pesticides. In the author's opinion harmonization of the Polish regulations with the project of the new EU Directive should be performed after the EU project comes into force.