Progress in Water Safety Plans in the WHO European Regionwatsan@ecr.euro.who.int

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WHY …

WHO Guidelines• Guidelines as basis for national standards

• Best available scientific evidence & expert consensus

• Focus on health protection and promotion

• Microbial, chemical and radiological hazards

• All types of water supply

• Subject to “rolling revision” – next 2008

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WHY …

3rd Revision of the Guidelines (2004)• Continued important morbidity level• Repeated outbreaks of water-related disease• Long-established principles needed to be

systematised• Need for safety management “from source to tap”• Increased information on parameters makes

parametric control increasingly expensive and difficult

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Parametric deviation detected:Too late to do much good

Consumer system

Distribution system

Water resources & sources

Treatment

Up to 24 hours later

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Need for more holistic approach

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FSDW: Health-based targets

• From national public health authority

• Quantitative public health benchmark

• Different types for different situations– Specified technology– Specified performance targets– Targets for water “quality”– Targets for desired health outcomes

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WSP1: System assessment

Can the “system” deliver water meeting the health-based targets?

• Identify hazards and threats

• Which steps prevent/reduce contamination?

• Do their combined efforts lead to water safety ?

• Outcome defines system improvements

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Risk assessment risk management

• Risk avoidance : management of the resource - EUWFD• Risk removal : operating procedures and actions remove

risk throughout the production, distribution and delivery. Water supply relies on an incremental risk reduction by

a number of barriers

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Water supply is complex

• Water supply is a sum of parts• Control measures are activities• Most controls are not engineered

– Standard Operating Procedures apply

More barriers = more confidence

Water TreatmentWorks

Water TreatmentWorks

Storage

Disinfection

Booster pumping

Disinfection

Resource

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WSP 2: Operational monitoring

Monitoring control measures ensure system consistently meets targets

• Monitoring at each step identified in system assessment to ensure controls are working

• Monitoring frequency appropriate to step Reduces reliance on end-point testing

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WSP 3: Management plans

Documenting system assessment (including upgrading plans) and monitoring and describing management in normal and incident conditions including communication plans

• Procedures for routine management• Procedures for emergencies and “incidents”• Communication lines and info management

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FSDW Surveillance/Verification

Systematic independent surveillance to verify that the Water Safety Plan is operating properly

• Different approaches– Direct investigation: end-point testing as final “check”– Audit of the entire WSP– To be used as long-term database

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WSPs are dynamic…

PREPARATION

SYSTEM ASSESSMENT

Description Hazards and RisksValidate controls

Improve plan

OPERATIONAL MONITORING

Validation

MANAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATION

Develop management proceduresDevelop supporting programmes

UPGRADE THE WSP

INCIDENT

FEEDBACKRevise WSP post incident

Periodic WSP review

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HOW & WHEN

• Preparatory project meeting– WHO regional office for Europe 22 May 2006

• Field visits using questionnaires & interviews at centralized water utilities and small scale water supply systems

• Summary meeting– WHO Headquarters 2007

• Presentation to Art 12 Committee May 2007

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WHERE

Austria Tulln

Lithuania Klaipedos, Neringos

Spain Sant Joan, Barcelona

Castellar del Valles

Switzerland Lenzburg

United Kingdom

Wessex Water, Anglian Water

Scottish Water

Australia

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General recommendations

• Soundness and feasibility• Benefits (health)• Benefits (utility)• Benefits (consumers)• Costs• Additional concerns

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SOUND AND FEASIBLE

• WSP complements current end-product testing requirements and continuously safeguards health.

• Feasibility assessment on location generally favourable.• WSP-type approach needs to be in wider framework of

surveillance and support.• Characteristics of small water supply systems need to be

recognized.

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Public health benefits

• Equitable societal benefits require that WSP-type approaches apply regardless of structure, management, size or origin.

• Greater confidence in management of “overlooked” supplies.

• Better understanding in operational aspects of supplying drinking water.

• (Better) cooperation between supplier, health and environment sector.

• RARM include evaluation of disruptions and ultimately increased reliability

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Benefits to suppliers

• Satisfied customers who trust their suppliers

• Often better understanding of their own system with documented and SOP

• Mutual support systems

• Regulatory harmony

• Much greater due diligence in rare cases where things do go wrong

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Utility cost benefits

• Reality test assessing robustness of system and quality of management system

• Targets resources towards critical issues

• Promotes reasonable basis for investments

• Effective tool in priority setting for capital and operational expenses

• Cost are self-regulatory• Benefits outweigh the costs of

the implementation of WSP• Smaller utilities may face a

higher burden• Health impacts may remain

below the detection level except for outbreaks

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Benefits to consumers

• Better drinking water• Improved reliability of the quality of the water

supplied• Improved reliability of the continuity of the water

supply, and in the pressure at tap• Greater confidence in their supplies, and in their

suppliersSAFE AND TRUSTED DRINKING WATER AT

TAP

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Project results

1. General recommendations

2. Legal issues

3. Supporting measures

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Project results

1. General recommendations

2. Legal issues

3. Supporting measures

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Guidance documents

• Guidance documents developed, also with assistance of professional associations.

• Training needed by national staff.• Information and outreach needed o public at

large to ensure buy-in during implementation.• Standardized guidance through the WHO IWA

Water Safety Plan Manual

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A picture is worth a thousand words…

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Preparation

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Risk assessment matrix

• Risk assessment risk management matrix (Lenzburg)

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Importance of senior management support

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Documentation

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Systems at risk from trespassers … or vice versa

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Prevention

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Verification

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Old and new

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Private water supplies

• Unknown origin• Unknown level of protection• But can be producing very important volumes

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Speeches are like steer horns - a point here

- a point there

- and a lot of bull in between

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Do we produce water that future generations can safely drink?