scholarly journals A conceptual framework to evaluate the outcomes and impacts of water safety plans

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard J. Gelting ◽  
Kristin Delea ◽  
Elizabeth Medlin
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Monitoring And Evaluation ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
World Health ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Water Safety ◽  
Common Basis ◽  
Drinking Water Safety ◽  
Health Organization

A Water Safety Plan (WSP) is a preventive, risk management approach to ensure drinking water safety. The World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines place WSPs within a larger 'framework for safe drinking-water' that links WSPs to health, creating an implicit expectation that implementation of WSPs will safeguard health in areas with acceptable drinking water quality. However, many intervening factors can come between implementation of an individual WSP and ultimate health outcomes. Evaluating the impacts of a WSP, therefore, requires a much broader analysis than simply looking at health improvements. Until recently, little guidance for the monitoring and evaluation of WSPs existed. Drawing examples from existing WSPs in various regions, this paper outlines a conceptual framework for conducting an overall evaluation of the various outcomes and impacts of a WSP. This framework can provide a common basis for implementers to objectively monitor and evaluate the range of outcomes and impacts from WSPs, as well as a common understanding of the time frames within which those results may occur. As implementers understand the various outcomes and impacts of WSPs beyond health, a strong evidence base for the effectiveness of WSPs will develop, further enabling the scaling up of WSP implementation and provision of better quality water.

scholarly journals Implementation and evaluation of the water safety plan approach for buildings

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 870-883 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabelle Schmidt ◽  
Bettina Rickert ◽  
Oliver Schmoll ◽  
Thomas Rapp
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Drinking Water Quality ◽  
World Health ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Water Safety ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Drinking Water Safety ◽  
Premise Plumbing

Abstract The World Health Organization (WHO) promotes water safety plans (WSPs) – a risk-based management approach – for premise plumbing systems in buildings to prevent deterioration of drinking-water quality. Experience with the implementation of WSPs in buildings were gathered within a pilot project in Germany. The project included an evaluation of the feasibility and advantages of WSPs by all stakeholders who share responsibility in drinking-water safety. While the feasibility of the concept was demonstrated for all buildings, benefits reported by building operators varied. The more technical standards were complied with before implementing WSP, the less pronounced were the resulting improvements. In most cases, WSPs yielded an increased system knowledge and awareness for drinking-water quality issues. WSPs also led to improved operation of the premise plumbing system and provided benefits for surveillance authorities. A survey among the European Network of Drinking-Water Regulators on the existing legal framework regarding drinking-water safety in buildings exhibited that countries are aware of the need to manage risks in buildings' installations, but experience with WSP is rare. Based on the successful implementation and the positive effects of WSPs on drinking-water quality, we recommend the establishment of legal frameworks that require WSPs for priority buildings whilst accounting for differing conditions in buildings and countries.

scholarly journals Drinking water standards in South American countries: convergences and divergences

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 295-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vívian Gemiliano Pinto ◽  
Léo Heller ◽  
Rafael Kopschitz Xavier Bastos
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Scientific Basis ◽  
World Health ◽  
South American ◽  
Who Guidelines ◽  
Water Safety ◽  
Drinking Water Standards ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Almost All

In this paper we present a comparative assessment of drinking-water standards from almost all South American countries, using the USA and the Canadian standards and the World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines as references. Similarities and discrepancies between standards/guidelines were identified through descriptive analyses and, in the case of chemical standards, clustering techniques. In general, one or another of the four consecutive editions of the WHO Guidelines were shown to be quite influential in setting drinking-water standards in the region, but not so much the USA and the Canadian standards. Considerable discrepancies between South American drinking-water standards were found, mainly with respect to chemical substances. Questions are raised about their scientific basis and/or the practicalities for their enforcement. In conclusion, the paper highlights that many drinking-water regulations in South America need updating, taking on the approach of health-based targets in setting these standards, as well as that of a broader risk-based preventive management in the entire supply system to assure water safety.

scholarly journals Microbial indicators, pathogens and methods for their monitoring in water environment

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 319-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaurav Saxena ◽  
Ram Naresh Bharagava ◽  
Gaurav Kaithwas ◽  
Abhay Raj
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Environment ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
World Health ◽  
Waterborne Diseases ◽  
Safe Drinking Water ◽  
Water Safety ◽  
Indicator Microorganisms ◽  
Water Safety Plan ◽  
Health Organization

Water is critical for life, but many people do not have access to clean and safe drinking water and die because of waterborne diseases. The analysis of drinking water for the presence of indicator microorganisms is key to determining microbiological quality and public health safety. However, drinking water-related illness outbreaks are still occurring worldwide. Moreover, different indicator microorganisms are being used in different countries as a tool for the microbiological examination of drinking water. Therefore, it becomes very important to understand the potentials and limitations of indicator microorganisms before implementing the guidelines and regulations designed by various regulatory agencies. This review provides updated information on traditional and alternative indicator microorganisms with merits and demerits in view of their role in managing the waterborne health risks as well as conventional and molecular methods proposed for monitoring of indicator and pathogenic microorganisms in the water environment. Further, the World Health Organization (WHO) water safety plan is emphasized in order to develop the better approaches designed to meet the requirements of safe drinking water supply for all mankind, which is one of the major challenges of the 21st century.

Experiences and lessons learned from practical implementation of a software-supported Water Safety Plan (WSP) approach

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ernest Mayr ◽  
Aditya Lukas ◽  
Wolfgang Aichlseder ◽  
Reinhard Perfler
Keyword(s):  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Water Utilities ◽  
World Health ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Water Safety ◽  
Drinking Water Safety ◽  
Safety Plan ◽  
Water Safety Plan ◽  
Health Organization

The Water Safety Plan (WSP) is considered the preferred approach to ensure drinking water safety by the World Health Organization (WHO). This approach ideally requires extensive scientific and technical input from a multidisciplinary team of experts. However, in small- and medium-sized municipalities in Austria, financial and personnel resources are usually of very limited availability. Therefore, a spreadsheet based WSP tool was designed to facilitate the implementation of the WSP approach at these small supply units. The WSP tool comprises the relevant national Austrian guidelines, which include the key components of the WSP by the WHO. The tool provides an overview of the required steps, explains how to carry out each step and guides the user through the three key components: system and hazards assessment, control measures and operational monitoring, and management. The practical application of the WSP tool was tested at 12 water utilities over a period of three months. After this period, the tool was improved based on collected feedback from the water utilities.

Drinking water safety plans: barriers and bridges for small systems in Alberta, Canada

Water Policy ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 1140-1154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika Perrier ◽  
Megan Kot ◽  
Heather Castleden ◽  
Graham A. Gagnon
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Small Community ◽  
Water Safety ◽  
Water Supplies ◽  
Small Communities ◽  
Implementation Challenges ◽  
Drinking Water Safety ◽  
Water Safety Plans

Water safety plans provide a relatively new management approach for identifying and addressing risks in a water supply. In 2011, the province of Alberta (Canada) became the first jurisdiction in North America to require that all water supplies develop drinking water safety plans (DWSPs). This research explored the implementation of DWSPs through the experiences of ‘early adopter’ operators who work in small communities. Specifically, in-person open-ended qualitative interviews with operators from 15 small communities from across Alberta were conducted to explore implementation challenges and opportunities. The findings highlight a number of barriers associated with the relationships between decision-making bodies, regulatory authorities and water operators, all of which have the potential to support or hinder the uptake of a DWSP. Findings also indicate that a DWSP can act as a bridge, providing a much-needed tool to facilitate communication about water supplies and help to support and manage relationships between stakeholders. This study revealed a number of important and useful insights to the small community early DWSP adopter experience in Canada that could be applied in other jurisdictions looking to adopt similar practices.

Identification, assessment, and control of hazards in water supply: experiences from Water Safety Plan implementations in Germany

2010 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
pp. 1307-1315 ◽  
Author(s):  
H.-J. Mälzer ◽  
N. Staben ◽  
A. Hein ◽  
W. Merkel
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Treatment ◽  
Water Supply ◽  
Drinking Water Treatment ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
World Health ◽  
Water Safety ◽  
Water Safety Plan ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
And Control

According to the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) for Water Safety Plans (WSP), a Technical Risk Management was developed, which considers standard demands in drinking water treatment in Germany. It was already implemented at several drinking water treatment plants of different size and treatment processes in Germany. Hazards affecting water quality, continuity, and the reliability of supply from catchment to treatment and distribution could be identified by a systematic approach, and suitable control measures were defined. Experiences are presented by detailed examples covering methods, practical consequences, and further outcomes. The method and the benefits for the water suppliers are discussed and an outlook on the future role of WSPs in German water supply is given.

scholarly journals Drinking water and health research: a look to the future in the United States and globally

2006 ◽  
Vol 4 (S1) ◽  
pp. 17-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark D. Sobsey
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
The United States ◽  
World Health ◽  
Safe Drinking Water ◽  
Water Safety ◽  
Household Water Treatment ◽  
Water Research ◽  
Safe Water ◽  
Drinking Water Safety ◽  
Key Issues

Drinking water supplies continue to be a major source of human disease and death globally because many of them remain unsafe and vulnerable. Greater efforts are needed to address the key issues and questions which influence the provision of safe drinking water. Efforts are needed to re-evaluate and set new and better priorities for drinking water research and practice. More stakeholders need to be included in the processes of identifying key issues and setting priorities for safe drinking water. The overall approach to drinking water research and the provision of safe drinking water needs to become more rational and scientific, and become more visionary and anticipatory of the ever-present and emerging risks to drinking water safety. Collectively, we need to do a better job of making safe water available, accessible and affordable for all. One such approach to safe water for all is household water treatment and safe storage, which is being promoted globally by the World Health Organization and many other stakeholders and partners to reduce the global burden of waterborne disease.

scholarly journals Risk assessment of drinking water from public wells

2017 ◽  
Vol 70 (9-10) ◽  
pp. 297-306
Author(s):  
Sanja Bijelovic ◽  
Marija Jevtic ◽  
Natasa Dragic ◽  
Emil Zivadinovic ◽  
Danijela Lukic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Human Health ◽  
National Standards ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Water Safety ◽  
Drinking Water Safety ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Drinking Water Analysis ◽  
Hazard Rating

Introduction. The safety of drinking water should be considered in the context of managing the risk from hazards that may compromise it. The aim of this study was to identify microbiological, chemical and physical hazards of drinking water from public wells which may impact human health, and to evaluate the results of routine drinking water analysis, not taking into account the national legislation, but the risk management approach. Material and Methods. Drinking water was sampled from 20 public wells in South Backa District and analyzed at the Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina according to accredited national standards during 2016. The drinking water hazards were defined according to international recommendations. Risk assessment was done using a semiquantitative approach, which assesses the like?lihood and consequences of a hazard, rating the risks as low, medium, high and very high. Results. Of 218 drinking water samples, according to national regulations, only 10% were healthy for consumption. The recognized hazards were thermotolerant coliforms (especially Escherichia coli), enterococci (genus Streptococcus), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus species and nitrates above legal limits. The risk was rated high, with an impact on the morbidity of sensitive populations in 2/3 of controlled public wells, in 1/3 as medium, leading to abandonment of drinking water sources. Conclusion. The proposed risk assessment methodology is a tool that provides easily understandable and clear information on the possibility of using public wells with a consequent impact on human health. The management of drinking water safety is the greatest challenge, systematically prioritizing risk assessment of drinking water from public wells for the health of the population in the Republic of Serbia.

scholarly journals Visual Quantitation of Copper Ions Based on a Microfluidic Particle Dam Reflecting the Cu(II)-Catalyzed Oxidative Damage of DNA

Biosensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 487
Author(s):  
Chenyu Cui ◽  
Ting-Hsuan Chen
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Limit Of Detection ◽  
Copper Ions ◽  
Tap Water ◽  
Copper Ion ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
World Health ◽  
Water Safety ◽  
Magnetic Separator ◽  
Health Organization

Due to the use of copper water pipes and the discharge of industrial wastewater, contamination of copper ions in drinking water has become a severe hazard globally. To routinely check water safety on a daily basis, easy-to-use platforms for quantitative analysis of trace amounts of copper ions (Cu2+) in drinking water is needed. Here, we report microfluidic particle accumulation integrated with a Cu(II)-catalyzed Fenton reaction for visual and quantitative copper ion detection. Microparticles (MMPs) and polystyrene microparticles (PMPs) are connected via a single strand DNA, MB155. However, when Cu2+ is present, MB155 is cleaved by hydroxyl free radicals (•OH) produced from Cu2+/hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) Fenton reactions, causing an increased amount of free PMPs. To visually count them, the particle solution is loaded onto a microfluidic chip where free MMPs and MMPs–MB155–PMPs can be collected by the magnetic separator, while the free PMPs continue flowing until being accumulated at the particle dam. The results showed a good linear relationship between the trapping length of PMP accumulation and the Cu2+ concentration from 0 to 300 nM. A limit of detection (LOD) of 70.1 nM was achieved, which is approximately 449 times lower than the 2 × 103 μg·L−1 (~31.5 μM) required by the World Health Organization (WHO). Moreover, the results showed high selectivity and good tolerance to pH and hardness, indicating compatibility for detection in tap water, suggesting a potential platform for the routine monitoring of copper contamination in drinking water.

scholarly journals Development of indicators for measuring outcomes of water safety plans

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 171-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriella Lockhart ◽  
William E. Oswald ◽  
Brian Hubbard ◽  
Elizabeth Medlin ◽  
Richard J. Gelting
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Policy Change ◽  
Performance Monitoring ◽  
World Health ◽  
Water Safety ◽  
Outcome Indicators ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Measuring Outcomes ◽  
Water Safety Plans ◽  
Health Organization

Water safety plans (WSPs) are endorsed by the World Health Organization as the most effective method of protecting a water supply. With the increase in WSPs worldwide, several valuable resources have been developed to assist practitioners in the implementation of WSPs, yet there is still a need for a practical and standardized method of evaluating WSP effectiveness. In 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a conceptual framework for the evaluation of WSPs, presenting four key outcomes of the WSP process: institutional, operational, financial and policy change. In this paper, we seek to operationalize this conceptual framework by providing a set of simple and practical indicators for assessing WSP outcomes. Using CDC's WSP framework as a foundation and incorporating various existing performance monitoring indicators for water utilities, we developed a set of approximately 25 indicators of institutional, operational, financial and policy change within the WSP context. These outcome indicators hold great potential for the continued implementation and expansion of WSPs worldwide. Having a defined framework for evaluating a WSP's effectiveness, along with a set of measurable indicators by which to carry out that evaluation, will help implementers assess key WSP outcomes internally, as well as benchmark their progress against other WSPs in their region and globally.

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