scholarly journals A Critical Evaluation of Water Safety Plans (WSPs) and HACCP Implementation in Water Utilities

Proceedings ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (11) ◽  
pp. 600 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dionysios S. Tsoukalas ◽  
Stavroula Tsitsifli

The use of traditional risk management systems has proven to be insufficient to safeguard the safety of drinking water. Nowadays, it is preferable to apply preventive instead of corrective systems. Two of the most commonly used systems are the Hazard Assessment and Critical Control Points (HACCP) and the Water Safety Plans (WSPs). The major benefit of their implementation is the improvement of drinking water quality. Of course, the successful implementation of HACCP and WSPs in water utilities can be limited by a number of factors such as the lack of financial resources. However, the importance of implementation’s difficulties is minimal in relation to the benefits that may result from the application of HACCP and WSPs in water utilities.

2012 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 277-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Gunnarsdóttir ◽  
S. M. Gardarsson ◽  
J. Bartram

The aim of this study was to investigate accumulated experience with water safety plans in one of the first countries to adopt systematic preventive management for drinking-water safety. Water utilities in Iceland have had a legal obligation since 1995 to implement a systematic preventive approach to secure safety of drinking water and protect public health. The water utilities responded by implementing either an adapted HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) model for larger water utilities or a simpler five step model for smaller water utilities. The research was carried out at 16 water utilities that serve about two-thirds of the population of Iceland. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used with the aim of analysing if and what benefits water safety plans bring for water utilities and what is needed for successful implementation and operation of such systems. The results of the study show that numerous benefits and even the process of going through the implementing process were considered to be of advantage and change the attitude of the staff and the utility culture. Some obstacles and shortcomings came to light, such as lack of documentation and lack of regular internal and external audit. There was little communication with the public, although some mentioned that good public relations are important to succeed with water safety plans. Many important elements of success were revealed of which intensive training of staff and participation of staff in the whole process are deemed the most important. It is also important to have simple and well-structured guidelines, and good cooperation with the health authorities.


2013 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. C. Reid ◽  
K. Abramowski ◽  
A. Beier ◽  
A. Janzen ◽  
D. Lok ◽  
...  

Traditionally, the regulatory approach to maintaining the quality and safety of drinking water has largely been a prescriptive one based on the ability of any given supply to meet standards set for a number of different chemical and biological parameters. There are a number of issues around the assumptions and the limitations of a sampling and analysis regime. The basis for such regimes is essentially reactive rather than proactive and, consequently, the cause of the concern may already have impacted consumers before any effective action can be taken. Environment and Sustainable Resource Development has developed a template for recording drinking water safety plans together with guidance notes to help complete them. The template has been developed in MS-Excel and has been designed in a straightforward step-wise manner with guidance on the completion of each sheet. It includes four main risk tables covering each main element of water supply which are pre-populated with commonly found ‘generic’ risks and these are carefully assessed before considering what action is required to deal with significant risks. Following completion of the risk tables, key risks are identified and the interventions required to bring them into control.


2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 61-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
MN Amin ◽  
CK Paul ◽  
A Parvez ◽  
MAI Chowdhury

Study results showed that deep tube well and shallow tube well water were used for drinking purposes by 31.43% and 24.29% respondents respectively where as minority of the respondents use other sources. Perception about the safe drinking water for the respondents was found mostly 63% among all the respondents followed by moderately safe 21%. About 54.29% respondents were found to be fully satisfied about their drinking water followed by moderately satisfied 30%. Among all the beneficiaries, 82.86% beneficiaries indicated communication materials like booklet, leaflet, poster, manuals, etc were available. This investigation found 83.33% rain water harvesting plant was in high risk where as, 66.67% deep tube well water source was in high risk category. The chances of contamination were high in the period of covering the water vessels during storage of water was 64.71%. About 89% respondents among all the official respondents did not receive the water safety plans training. About 66.67% officials responded that no sanitary inspection was done. Most of the respondents (78.57% beneficiaries and 76.19% organizational personnel) had high perception about the selected benefits of water safety plans. Among all the officials and beneficiaries that 75.71% beneficiary and 66.67% organizational personnel had high perception in selected limitations to implement the water safety plans. Finally 95.24% organizational personnel and 81.43% beneficiaries had high perception about the selected necessities to successful implementation of water safety plans in Bangladesh.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v4i2.10136J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 4(2): 61-71, 2011  


2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 141-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
MM Rahman ◽  
CK Paul

Water safety plans (WSPs) is a comprehensive health-based risk assessment and risk management approach to optimizing drinking-water safely from catchments to consumer. The focus of this research is the development and implementation of water safety plans (WSPs) to be used by the water supplier. The study was conducted at 13 districts and 18 upazills (rural and urban) among the whole Bangladesh. The data were collected during March to May, 2008 to conduct the study. In the study, primary data were collected directly from the respondents while secondary data were collected from different records available at different office, internet and journals. It was found that deep tube well and shallow tube well water was used for drinking purposes by 31.43% and 24.29% respondents respectively where as minority of the respondents used other sources. Perception about the safe drinking water for the respondents was found mostly 63% among all the respondents followed by moderately safe 21%. About 54.29% respondents were found to be fully satisfied about their drinking water followed by moderately satisfied 30%. Among all the beneficiaries 82.86% beneficiaries have been indicated communication materials like booklet, leaflet, poster, manuals, etc was available. This investigation found that 83.33% rain water harvesting plant and 66.67% deep tube well water source were in high risk category. The chances of contamination were high in the period of covering the water vessels during storage of water 64.71%. About 88.10% respondents among all the official respondents received the water safety plans training. About 66.67% officials have been responded that no sanitary inspection was done. Most of the respondents (78.57% beneficiaries and 76.19% organizational personnel) had high perception about the selected benefits of water safety plans. Among all the officials and beneficiaries i.e. 66.67% organizational personnel and 75.71% beneficiaries had high perception in selected limitations to implement the water safety plans. Finally 95.24% organizational personnel and 81.43% beneficiaries had high perception about the selected necessities to successful implementation of water safety plans in Bangladesh. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jsf.v9i1-2.14657 J. Sci. Foundation, 9(1&2): 141-161, June-December 2011


Author(s):  
Bojan GOLIĆ́ ◽  
Vesna KALABÁ ◽  
Tanja ILIĆ́

Health-safe water is the basis of a healthy life and is one of the priorities in primary health care. Water safety involves microbiological, physicochemical and radiologically clean water, a sufficient amount of water and continuous delivery. Due to the great epidemiological importance of water, whose impact is immediate and through which various infectious diseases can be transmitted harmful and dangerous chemicals can be introduced, it is necessary, in order to protect human health, to control the safety of drinking water. The aim of this study was to determine the microbiological safety of water used for watering animals, as well as in the food industry. Based on data collected from year 2015 to 2017, 26.20% water samples did not meet requirements defined by Regulation on hygienic quality of drinking water. The greatest number of samples was unsatisfactory due to an increased number of microorganisms at the temperatures of 22°C (63.40%) and 37°C (54.90%), and when it comes to pathogenic microorganisms due to the presence of intestinal enterococci (58.80%). The lowest risk of the presence of coliforms and E. coli is in the water from the water supplying network, while it's much higher presence is in wells and in the water from the wellspring. The presence of intestinal enterococci is significant in all three types of drinking water, while the presence of sulphite-reducing clostridia was observed only in the wellspring water.


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 290-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lutendo S. Mudau ◽  
Murembiwa S. Mukhola ◽  
Paul R. Hunter

The water safety plan (WSP) approach is being widely adopted as a systematic approach to improving the safety of drinking water. However, to date, the approach has not been widely used for improving the safety of drinking water in those settings where people have to collect water away from their home. Most rural areas in South Africa still consume unsafe water despite WSP implementation and improved water sources provided by municipalities. This study used hazard analysis critical control point to assess drinking water used in households to determine systematic procedures, which could be used to control risks. The process includes assessment of risks associated with household water service level (availability, accessibility and potability) and risks of water contamination from the collection to point of consumption. Observations and questionnaires were used to collect data in households to systematically determine and identify risks of drinking water consumption. The results show intermittent water supply, access to unsafe water, while poor hygiene practices contribute to household water contamination. This approach could assist in identifying hazards as well as critical control points to reduce risks and improve management of drinking water safety in households.


Waterlines ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 212-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nam Raj Khatri ◽  
Han Heijnen

Author(s):  
Francesca Serio ◽  
Lucia Martella ◽  
Giovanni Imbriani ◽  
Adele Idolo ◽  
Francesco Bagordo ◽  
...  

Background: The quality of water for human consumption is an objective of fundamental importance for the defense of public health. Since the management of networks involves many problems of control and efficiency of distribution, the Water Safety Plan (WSP) was introduced to address these growing problems. Methods: WSP was applied to three companies in which the water resource assumes central importance: five water kiosks, a third-range vegetable processing company, and a residence and care institution. In drafting the plan, the terms and procedures designed and tested for the management of urban distribution systems were applied to safeguard the resource over time. Results: The case studies demonstrated the reliability of the application of the model even to small drinking-water systems, even though it involved a greater effort in analyzing the incoming water, the local intended use, and the possibilities for managing the containment of the dangers to which it is exposed. This approach demonstrates concrete effectiveness in identifying and mitigating the dangers of altering the quality of water. Conclusions: Thanks to the WSP applied to small drinking-water systems, we can move from management that is focused mainly on verifying the conformity of the finished product to the creation of a global risk assessment and management system that covers the entire water supply chain.


2003 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 7-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.E. Hrudey ◽  
P. Payment ◽  
P.M. Huck ◽  
R.W. Gillham ◽  
E.J. Hrudey

An estimated 2,300 people became seriously ill and seven died from exposure to microbially contaminated drinking water in the town of Walkerton, Ontario, Canada in May 2000. The severity of this drinking water disaster resulted in the Government of Ontario calling a public inquiry by Mr. Justice Dennis O’Connor to address the cause of the outbreak, the role (if any) of government policies in contributing to this outbreak and, ultimately, the implications of this experience on the safety of drinking water across the Province of Ontario. The circumstances surrounding the Walkerton tragedy are an important reference source for those concerned with providing safe drinking water. Although some circumstances are obviously specific to this epidemic, others are uncomfortably reminiscent of waterborne outbreaks that have occurred elsewhere. These recurring themes suggested the need for attention to broad issues of drinking water security and they present the challenge for how drinking water safety can be managed to prevent such tragedies in the future.


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