A new concern about surface water quality is the occurrence of emerging contaminants that have being recognized as a new class of water contaminants such as antibiotics, hormones, pesticides, personal care products and pharmaceutical products. The occurrence of these contaminants in the aquatic environment and especially in surface water is a serious concern because this is usually the source of water for drinking water treatment plants (DWTP). This review provides a summary of the occurrence and the analytical methodology (extraction process, chromatography analysis, detection systems and ionization source) of emerging contaminant analysis in surface waters including rivers, lakes, creeks and wetlands for their analysis.