The catalogue of harmful water pollutants – its meaning for the protection of waters and drinking water in practice

Abstract The characterization and estimation of the manifold properties of environmental chemicals become more and more important for the protection of environment, and so of waters, too. For that reason, since 1975 the “Catalogue of Harmful Water Pollutants” has been edited by the Institute of Water Management, Berlin, GDR. Hitherto four deliveries came out, which comprise the parameters of a total of 700 substances and commercial products. The properties of the harmful water pollutants are described and assessed by 13 different criteria and measures. After the compilation of the results each pollutant is assigned to one of the following three categories: I: Very dangerous water pollutant II: Dangerous water pollutant II: Less dangerous water pollutant. By selected examples from the work of Public Water Control (Staatliche Gewässeraufsicht) the importance of the Catalogue of harmful water pollutants for the practice of the protection of waters and drinking water will be demonstrated. At present the Catalogue is used by nearly 1,200 firms, managements and institutions in the GDR as well as in 39 other states of the world. The second edition will contain an extension of the spectrum of criteria and measures as well as the result of a general revision of all the parameters.