scholarly journals Study of Long-Term Effectiveness of Water Safety Plan Applied to Microfiltered Water Dispensers to Improve Water Quality

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (20) ◽  
pp. 2905
Author(s):  
Marta Mazzotta ◽  
Silvano Salaris ◽  
Maria Rosaria Pascale ◽  
Luna Girolamini ◽  
Graziella Ciani ◽  
...  

The use of Microfiltered Water Dispensers (MWDs) is increasing in offices, companies, or commercial facilities, as a response to plastic pollution. Despite their widespread use, poor data are available about the water quality and pathogens developed. Starting from a high contamination found in MWDs, a Water Safety Plan (WSP) was implemented on 57 MWDs to improve the water quality. To assess the effectiveness of WSP during the period 2017–2021, the environmental monitoring of heterotrophic plate counts (HPCs) at 36 °C and 22 °C, Enterococcus spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Clostridium perfringens, as prescribed by Italian regulation for drinking water, was conducted. A high level of HPCs at both temperatures was observed, over the regulation limit; contrarily, the pathogenic bacteria were absent. The contamination found was studied with respect to the temperature threshold of 25 °C, suggested by directives. No significant differences were found between samples above and below the threshold, while a significant decrease over the years was observed for HPCs at 36 °C (p = 0.0000000001) and 22 °C (p = 0.000006). The WSP implementation resulted in a 43.09% decrease for HPCs at 36 °C and a 24.26% decrease for HPCs at 22 °C. Moreover, during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the WSP contributed to limit the microbial contamination, preserving the MWDs’ functionality and hygienic conditions and the drinking water quality.

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 568-577
Author(s):  
P. F. de Souza ◽  
J. E. Burgess ◽  
M. Swart ◽  
V. Naidoo ◽  
A. Blanckenberg

Despite a good legislative framework, South Africa faces significant challenges in the sustainable provision of adequate and safe water services. To improve the situation, South Africa's Department of Water Affairs (DWA) and other water sector partners undertook initiatives to assist municipalities with operation and management of water services. By way of example, in 2006, the municipal engineering oriented electronic Water Quality Management System (eWQMS) was implemented, providing municipalities with a platform for loading drinking water quality data and tracking performance of key water services management functions. Following this in 2008, DWA introduced an incentive-based regulatory programme, Blue Drop Certification (BDC), and the associated regulatory drinking water quality information system, the Blue Drop System (BDS) which is, for example, populated with data loaded by municipalities onto eWQMS. An integral part of BDC is the development of Water Safety Plans (WSPs). Due to the challenges faced by municipalities in developing WSPs, the Water Research Commission (WRC) saw a need to assist municipalities, and subsequently a generic Water Safety Plan for Small Community Water Supplies was developed. The WRC also saw the need to develop an easy-to-use WSP tool for municipalities. The eWQMS was selected as the platform for making the tool available. This paper presents the development of a web-enabled WSP tool on the eWQMS which ultimately will provide the information to the BDS.


2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 541-548 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Hubbard ◽  
Richard Gelting ◽  
Maria del Carmen Portillo ◽  
Tom Williams ◽  
Ricardo Torres

Considerable effort has been made worldwide to disseminate information and provide technical assistance to encourage the adoption and implementation of the water safety plan (WSP) methodology. Described since the third edition of the World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality, a WSP provides guidance for water utilities to ensure the delivery of safe drinking water and protect health. Attention is now being given to understand the success of efforts to advance adoption of the WSP methodology in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region. More specifically, there is interest in knowing how early adopters developed strategies to implement the WSP methodology and what challenges exist for further implementation. To better understand adoption and implementation trends, key informants from five LAC countries were interviewed and case studies were developed to reveal the diversity of WSP approaches applied in the region. Results indicate that WSP implementation is more widespread than previously reported. Respondents affirmed that the WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality are routinely used as a model for country-level drinking-water regulations, which has led to uptake of the WSP methodology. Interview respondents also revealed innovative national strategic approaches for WSP implementation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 698 ◽  
pp. 134185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria J. Gunnarsdottir ◽  
Sigurdur M. Gardarsson ◽  
Maria J. Figueras ◽  
Clàudia Puigdomènech ◽  
Rubén Juárez ◽  
...  

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.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (10) ◽  
pp. 1813-1822
Author(s):  
Cecilia Caretti ◽  
Roberta Muoio ◽  
Leonardo Rossi ◽  
Daniela Santianni ◽  
Claudio Lubello ◽  
...  

2009 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gertjan Medema ◽  
Patrick Smeets

System assessment is the part of the Water Safety Plan that evaluates whether a water supply system is capable of producing drinking water that meets the health-based targets. System assessment can be done at increasing level of detail, requiring more site specific information as the level of detail increases. Four case studies are presented with increasing level of detail, showing the type of information that is required for each of these levels and how each level informs risk management. The first case study shows how a system assessment can be performed without other site specific information than the type of source water and the type of treatment processes. The required data for the system assessment are collected from the large body of literature available. The second case study uses site specific microbial indicator data. The third study uses pathogen data and the fourth case study combines data on pathogens, microbial indicators and process parameters. The case studies show that the level of detail required largely depends on the risk management question.


Author(s):  
Carlo Collivignarelli

This article discusses the benefits of an innovative approach to the problem of water security introduced by WHO in 2004, through the establishment of the Water Safety Plan (WSP). It was recently included in Commission Directive (EU) 2015/1787 – October 6, 2015 – the implementation of which is expected in the EU countries by 27 October 2017. The WSP is the most effective means of consistently ensuring the safety of a drinking water supply. The method is based on the use of a comprehensive risk assessment and risk management approach that involves all steps in water supply from catchment to consumer. The knowledge acquired by some experiences of WSP application, both inItalyand in countries with limited resources, is proving the effectiveness of the model as the best way to manage drinking water systems and protect public health.


2019 ◽  
Vol 222 (7) ◽  
pp. 1030-1037 ◽  
Author(s):  
H.H.J.L. van den Berg ◽  
L. Friederichs ◽  
J.F.M. Versteegh ◽  
P.W.M.H. Smeets ◽  
A.M. de Roda Husman

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