International standards enable a safe and sustainable management of water resources, safeguarding public health and ecosystems. They provide businesses with tools for measuring and optimizing water use and wastewater treatment. The practical solutions and best practices outlined in these standards facilitate equitable sharing of this precious resource, even across national borders.

Top standards

Water efficiency management systems — Requirements with guidance for use

Microbiology of food, animal feed and water — Preparation, production, storage and performance testing of culture media

Water quality — Enumeration of Escherichia coli and coliform bacteria
Part 1: Membrane filtration method for waters with low bacterial background flora

Water quality — Analysis of microplastic in water
Part 2: Vibrational spectroscopy methods for waters with low content of suspended solids including drinking water

Water quality — General requirements and guidance for microbiological examinations by culture

Environmental management — Water footprint — Principles, requirements and guidelines

Water quality — Sampling
Part 4: Guidance on sampling from lakes, natural and man-made

Insights

The benefits of implementing an environmental management system for your business

Organizations everywhere are under pressure to operate responsibly while staying competitive, and the most effective way to do both is through an environmental management system.

Opinion

From policy to practice: Why standards are the missing link to ending plastic pollution

If we’re serious about tackling the plastic crisis, we must also equip ourselves with the tools to make real change. That’s where International Standards come in.

The circular economy: building trust through conformity assessment

Standards and conformity assessment provide assurance on aspects of the circular economy including product lifetime and recyclability, safety and efficiency.