In consequence of enhancements in analytical instrumentation, constantly new organic micropollutants are detected in the aquatic environment that have to be evaluated with regard to their relevance for public water supply. Most recently, in particular pharmaceuticals, endocrine disrupting chemicals, iodinated X-ray contrast media, perfluorinated compounds (PFOA, PFOS) and nitrosamines including NDMA have attracted notice around the world. This contribution will present recent data from German water works and from lab-scale experiments concerning their removability by conventional treatment steps including underground passage, activated carbon treatment, flocculation and sedimentation, and chemical oxidation by ozone. Most pharmaceuticals and endocrine disrupting chemicals, as well as NDMA can be removed via riverbank filtration or artificial groundwater recharge. Compounds passing this treatment step, such as amidotrizoic acid, iopamidol, carbamazepine, sulfamethoxazole, PFOA, and PFOS, can be eliminated from raw waters by either activated carbon treatment or ozonation. For the polar compounds under consideration, flocculation with iron or aluminum salts, however, turned out to be rather inefficient. The results from water samples taken along the treatment of waterworks demonstrate that even though single treatment steps are sometimes not capable of removing an organic trace pollutant completely, the combination of several treatment steps in a row, as realized in the German multiple barrier system, often bring about an extensive and satisfactory elimination.