scholarly journals The establishment and first experiences of a crisis advisory service for water supplies in Norway

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 545-555 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Hyllestad ◽  
Vidar Lund ◽  
Karin Nygård ◽  
Preben Aavitsland ◽  
Line Vold

Abstract Water supply systems, in particular small-scale water supply systems, are vulnerable to adverse events that may jeopardise safe drinking water. The consequences of contamination events or the failure of daily operations may be severe, affecting many people. In Norway, a 24-hour crisis advisory service was established in 2017 to provide advice on national water supplies. Competent and expert advisors from water suppliers throughout the country assist other water suppliers and individuals who may be in need of advice during an adverse event. This paper describes the establishment of this service and experiences from the first three years of its operation. Since the launch of the service, water suppliers across Norway have consulted it approximately one to two times a month for advice, in particular about contamination events and near misses. The outcomes have helped to improve guidance on water hygiene issues at the national level.

1993 ◽  
Vol 27 (9) ◽  
pp. 47-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. F. Nicholson

Life, health and hygiene all depend on access to a plentiful supply of safe drinking water. Piped water supplies in rural Egypt are insufficient to meet the demands of the existing population. This situation is worsening due to the rapid population growth and failure of existing water supply systems. There are already areas of the country with severe piped water shortages. If corrective action is not taken soon densely populated villages will become vulnerable to outbreaks of waterborne diseases. Immediate action is needed to reverse the deterioration of water supply systems and to improve the benefits gained from capital works investments in the sector. This paper promotes the concept that sustainable water systems in rural Egypt depends on a central government and local unit partnership. Also needed are consumer bodies to determine user needs; local units to be given powers to manage the revenue and expenditure accounts; and the central government to concentrate on setting policies and guidelines, and assisting with the implementation of major capital works.


Proceedings ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (11) ◽  
pp. 602
Author(s):  
Stavroula Tsitsifli ◽  
Anastasia Papadopoulou ◽  
Vasilis Kanakoudis ◽  
Konstantinos Gonelas

Water use efficiency is a crucial issue in drinking water utilities as it is connected to environmental and economic consequences. WATenERgy CYCLE project aims at developing a methodological approach towards efficient and effective transnational water and energy resources management in the Balkan–Mediterranean area. The paper presents the results of performance evaluation of the water supply systems of the water utilities involved in the project, both at local and national level. The methodology used in the water balance and performance indicators as well as data on the operational status of the water supply systems. The results showed that Non-Revenue Water is one of the major problems addressed.


2008 ◽  
Vol 6 (S1) ◽  
pp. 21-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Gray

Water supply companies in the UK have a duty under prime UK legislation to notify the Drinking Water Inspectorate of events affecting or potentially affecting the quality of drinking-water supplies. Under the same legislation, the Inspectorate has a duty to investigate each event. After assessing all of the information available, including companies' reports, the Inspectorate advises on the way in which the event was handled and whether any statutory requirements were contravened. If appropriate, a prosecution of the water company may be initiated. Copies of the assessment are sent to the water company, relevant local and health authorities, Ofwat (the economic regulator), the regional Consumer Council for Water and any other interested parties, including consumers who request it. Generic guidance may be issued to the industry on matters of wider concern. This paper considers the role of the Inspectorate, the powers available to it and reporting arrangements. An overview is presented of events that occurred between 1990 and 2005 and common features are identified. Causes of different types of event are discussed. The importance of well-established contacts between the various interested parties involved in protecting public health is emphasised through discussion of example incidents.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 139-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Mink ◽  
B. A. Hoque ◽  
S. Khanam ◽  
D. Van Halem

Abstract In the arsenic-contaminated Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna Delta in India and Bangladesh, small-scale piped water supply seems a promising way to provide safe drinking water to households in the region. The use of smartphone applications can support monitoring of the system and enhance local engagement and empowerment. In this paper the scope for mobile crowd participation as a research and monitoring tool for piped water supply systems in Bihar, India and in Khulna and Chittagong, Bangladesh is investigated. In these areas, the use of smartphones and internet access are growing rapidly and smartphone applications would enable real-time water quality monitoring, payment of water bills, awareness creation, and a dialogue between the end-user and the water supplier. To identify the relevance and acceptability of piped water supply and smartphone monitoring, four surveys with potential end-users were conducted. Based on these surveys we conclude that in the investigated areas there is a desire for piped water systems, that households already own smartphones with internet access, and that there is an interest in smartphone monitoring. The enabling environment to deploy mobile crowd participation for piped water system monitoring stimulates further research towards an investigation of potential functionalities and the actual development of such an application.


Water Policy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1207-1223 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Hess ◽  
Brandi M. Collins

Abstract Recycling of effluent water from urban water-supply systems is often a more sustainable water source than increased use of surface sources, groundwater sources, and desalination. However, water-supply organizations (WSOs) often do not take full advantage of recycled water. Although recycling water for direct potable use is efficient, public concern with safety has tended to cause WSOs to favor other uses for recycled water. This study examines patterns in the degree of utilization of two main indirect uses of recycled water: dual-reticulation systems and groundwater recharge. Drawing on case studies of four U.S. cities that are leaders in the use of recycled water, the study identifies conditions that favor the choice of one option over the other. Where cities are concerned with groundwater recharge of potable water supplies, they tend to prefer non-recycled water if available for recharge projects. However, where non-recycled water supplies are limited, recycled water may be prioritized for aquifer recharge. Otherwise, the preference is for use by large industrial partners such as power plants or for exchanges for higher-quality potable water resources with rural systems. In contrast, dual-reticulation (purple-pipe) systems for direct nonpotable recycling face steep economic and technical challenges.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 773-786 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. N. Angelakis ◽  
K. S. Voudouris ◽  
G. Tchobanoglous

Abstract Advanced, well organized, and operated urban water supply systems existed in Greece from the Bronze Age (ca. 3200–1100 BC). At the dawn of human history, surface water and groundwater, principally springs, were the most common water supply sources. As the population grew, periodic water shortages occurred. In Early Minoan times (ca. 3200–2100 BC), these water shortages led to the development of sophisticated hydraulic structures for importing water and for the harvesting and storage of rainwater. In addition, the water treatment technologies and water distribution techniques developed at that time served as the basis for the advanced technological progress in the development of the urban water supply systems in the centuries that followed. In this paper, an overview of the evolution of public water supplies and water treatment technologies in the Hellenic world through the centuries up to modern times is presented. Some of the most significant innovations in the provision of water, its treatment, and distribution are highlighted. The overview is followed by a discussion of the contemporary situation, emerging trends, and future challenges, and parallels are drawn between historical developments and the water supply problems faced today.


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