A Critical Analysis of Drinking Water Quality Policies and Regulations in Romania

Drinking water quality is essential for maintaining human health and ecological balance. Therefore, implementing standards and legislative directives/ordinances is important to protect human health. Water regulations play a crucial role in the efficient management of water resources, particularly in clean water and sanitation. This analysis evaluates the main water quality parameters regulated by national and European standards and highlights the problems related to the implementation of water quality standards in Romania. This study presents the main limitations of the standards related to underestimation of risks associated with emerging toxic contaminants, the adoption of inadequate limit values for current public health requirements, inadequate analytical techniques at international level or protocols, and existing tools for their monitoring. The conclusions of this analysis in the Romanian context indicate deficiencies in several synthetic chemicals and biological species. The implementation of regulations and standards is essential for sustainable water management, and regional and international partnerships are key solutions to overcome these obstacles.