management and environmental and water quality standards. Key directives include the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive 1992 requiring most towns and cities to treat their wastewater to specified standards, and the Water Framework Directive 2000, which requires water resource plans based on river basins, including public participation based on Aarhus Convention principles. International Standards (ISO) on water service management and assessment are under preparation within Technical Committee ISO/TC 224. Global companies Using available data only, and during 2009 - 2010, the ten largest water companies active globally were (largest first) : Veolia Environnement (France), Suez Environnement (France), ITT Corporation (US), United Utilities (UK), Severn Trent (UK), Thames Water (UK), American Water Works Company (US), GE Water (US), Kurita Water Industries ( Japan), Nalco Water (US). See also American Water Works Association - North American industry and standards association for drinking water Imagine H2O - International accelerator and organization for water technology startups Millennium Development Goals (one of the MDGs is "Reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water") National Rural Water Association - Industry association supporting small and rural water and wastewater utilities in the United States. Water Environment Federation - Professional association for ambient water quality research & pollution control References External links Truth from the Tap "Water Industry Facts" http://truthfromthetap.com/water-industry-facts/ Lowi, Alvin Jr. Avoiding the Grid: Technology and the Decentralization of Water WaterWorld Magazine (see Water & Wastewater Industry Report e-newsletter) Global Water Intelligence Industrial WaterWorld Water & Wastewater International Water Procurement Portal National Association of Clean Water Agencies Industrial Doctorate Centre for the Water Sector Sewerage Hydrology Industries (economics)