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Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
Oliver Schmoll
Federal Environment AgencyBad Elster, Germany
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Supplies in the
European Region: Common Challenges and Needs
EU TWINNING PROJECT PL-06-IB-EN-01
Warsaw, 18 June 2009
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
Water supply … are you talking 19th century?
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
“Sanitary revolution” won the “Oscar”
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
Big utility’s perspectives 1/2
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
Big utility’s perspectives 2/2
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
Why to focus on small scale water supplies?
They are plenty!
In the European Union, 1 in 10 citizens (= 50 of 500 Mio) receive drinking water from small scale water supplies
In Germany:• One third of the population receives water from more than 3,600 public
supplies serving less than 5,000 people
• One million people use water from ca. 200,000 private or hamlet wells
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
Why to focus on small scale water supplies?
Backbone of drinking-water supply in the rural areas in all parts of the European Region:• Permanent residents mainly in rural, often not densely populated areas
• Transient users (tourists, holiday makers etc.)
Need for decentralised solutions:• Economic reasons
• Hygienic reasons
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
Why to focus on small scale water supplies?
EU Drinking Water Directive revision process:• More focus on small supplies (see data collection by EC)
• Water Safety Plan approach
International momentum:• Protocol on Water and Health
• WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality:
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
“Small scale water supplies”
Babylonian language jumble …• … small supplies, very small supplies, small scale supplies, small
community supplies, small public supplies, private supplies …
Size of the supply or number of people connected:• Widely varying classification schemes
• Often derived from regulatory definitions
Organisational set-up:• Community managed
• Publicly or municipality managed
• Regional water board associations
• Privately owned and operated
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
Different shapes …
Lithuania Germany
Tajikistan KyrgyzstanDenmark
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
Different shapes …
Germany
Germany
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
… similar characteristics and challenges 1/4
Differently regulated or non-regulated
Less “political” attention than large supplies
Lack of awareness and in sense of responsibility
Inaccurate perception of water-related health risks
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
… similar characteristics and challenges 2/4
Administration and management differs from organised utilities
Limited technical, personnel and financial resources
Less effective or inadequate source protection in the local context
Relatively greater capital costs
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
… similar characteristics and challenges 3/4
Typical staffing profiles:• Involvement of ordinary or untrained staff
• Staff is working part-time or have other jobs to do
• Labour may be voluntary or unpaid
Lack of “support networks”:• Widely dispersed over large areas
• Limited access to information and technical support
• Little degree of networking in scientific and professional communities
• Difficult recruitment of trained operators
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
… similar characteristics and challenges 4/4
Regulatory approach: “undivided” health protection
Need for intelligent surveillance strategies:• Plenty of supplies in widespread areas
• Limited manpower to advise, inspect and control
• One sample per year at best
Enforcement of compliance-based approaches debatable• Advice-based approaches
• Risk-based approaches
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
Germany
Germany
Private supplies inGermany
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
What do we know?
Compliance with microbiological standards remains a challenge in many small scale supplies :• Little readily available “hard data” from routine monitoring
and sanitary inspection
• Data are often informal or “hidden”
• High degree of anecdotal evidence
Chemical contamination is of less priority but can be locally relevant (e.g. natural constituents)
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
Microbial contamination
Analysis of database from by 150 local authorities in England:• 34,904 microbial water quality results from
• 11,233 private water supply sites
• 1996 to 2003
E. coli was detected in 6,588 (19 %) of samples
At least one positive sample being detected from 3,638 (32 %) water supply sites
Hunter et al 2008
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
Probable failure rate
2.0661000-9999
1.707100-999
1.36410-99
1.3251-9
0.0016 1.0000Rain on day prior to sample/mm
1.781No treatment
3.77E-071.000TreatmentTreatment
2.342Spring
2.347Surface water
9.09E-121.000GroundwaterSource
Hunter et al 2008
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
What do we know?
Most detected outbreaks of water-borne disease are associated with “small scale water supplies” and single household supplies
Data on waterborne disease is difficult to collect systematically
Anecdotal evidence suggests comparatively higher disease burden
Ongoing literature review by ISS (Italy)
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
Divizia et al., 2004
Environmental contamination
Rotavirus in 26/28 faecal samples, but also astrovirus, adenovirus and calicivirus
Tirana Hospital (also outside the town); main age group : 0-5 years
2,722 children Albania, 2000
Kopilović et al., 2008
water samples with faecal contamination on the basis of bacterial indicators
Several causative agents were isolated
In June and July 2008, outbreak of acute gastro-enteritisin the town of Piran (17,400 inhabitants)
408 cases Slovenia, 2008
Kopilović et al., 2008
Often contamination of drinking water from water supply systems
In 12 outbreaks , more causative agents
Between 1997 and 2007, 20 waterborne outbreaks notified .
5-181 cases/ outbreaks
Slovenia, 1997-2007
ReferenceWater quality (cause)Causative agents DescriptionCasesCountry,year
Gastroenteritis outbreaks in small communities
Funari et al 2008
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
Gastroenteritis outbreaks in small communities
ReferenceWater quality (cause)
Causative agents DescriptionCasesCountry,year
2007Contaminated drinking water Heavy rains before the outbreak
Unknown aetiology, rural village
August160 casesAustria, 2006
Said et al., 2003
Private water supplies
Campylobacter was the main pathogen, implicated in 13 (52%) outbreaks
16 outbreaks reported after the introduction of enhanced surveillance.
25 outbreaks England and Wales, 1970-2000
Smith et al., 2006
Private water supplies: 28% outbreaks
Crypt. (69%) Camp. (14% )E. coli 0157 (3%)Giardia (2%)
From 2000 consistent decline of the number of outbreaks of WRDs
89 outbreaks of waterborne infectious intestinal diseases, 4321 people
England and Wales, 1992-2003
Funari et al 2008
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
ReferenceWater quality (cause)
Causative agents DescriptionCasesCountry,year
Gallay et al., 2006
Groundwater probably contaminated by agricultural runoff
in stool sample analysed: Rotavirus 71%E. coli 31%Norovirus 21%
202 cases and 62 probable cases population 709
France, 2000
Kamenov et al., 2007
No faecal indicators were found in drinking water
Norovirus (also rotavirus) as probable cause of the outbreak
34.6% children 3-36 months old
977 cases of acute gastroenteritis
Bulgaria, 2007
Martinelli et al., 2007
No faecal indicators found in tap waters.
Acute diarrhoeaRotavirus and Norovirus in 48 % and 40% of cases
2,806 patients admitted or seen by hospitals (District of Taranto)
Italy, 2006
Gastroenteritis outbreaks in small communities
Funari et al 2008
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
Is it worth to improve?
“Undivided” health protection?
Cost-benefit studies:• Costs of legislation and interventions
• Proportion of illnesses likely to be prevented by interventions
• Direct cost of illness (health care)
• Indirect cost of illness (loss of work, loss of schooling)
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
Cost-Benefit-Ratio for water interventionsaiming at reducing acute diarrhoeal illness
Hunter et al 2008
9.141.223.91Eur-C
49.896.6421.34Eur-B
5.880.782.52Eur-A
U95%CIL95%CIMean
Cost-Benefit-Ratio Region
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
Bad Elster conclusions 1/5
Small scale systems are vital to water supply of significant parts of the population
Need for strengthening epidemiological evidence base on health impacts of small systems
There is a positive cost/benefit ratio for investment in improving small scale systems
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
Bad Elster conclusions 2/5
Development and dissemination of advocacy material aiming at increasing the awareness of decision-makers on the importance of small systems:• Need for political will
• Need for dedicated “piece of thinking” for developing effective management and surveillance strategies
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
Bad Elster conclusions 3/5
There is a lack of consistent and coherent application of internationally recognised good practices and standards
WSP are seen as a viable approach for small scale supplies, including private wells
Experience from Switzerland, Scotland, Finland
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
Bad Elster conclusions 4/5
Need for enabling environment:• Provision of external expertise
• Promotion of partnerships and twinning arrangements between major water services and small scale water suppliers
• Preparation and distribution of easy to understand guidance (useful WSP manuals available)
• Development of specialised training programs targeting owners and operators of small systems
• Increasing competence for the application of WSP approaches
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
Bad Elster conclusions 5/5
Challenges to the health system:• Lack of awareness of health risks by users of small scale systems
• Underreporting of water related disease
• Need to revise and strengthen outbreak detection and response mechanisms
The need for international networking was recognised, including within• Protocol on Water and Health as platform for information sharing within
the European Region
• WHO Network on Community Supply
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
International Small Community Water Supply Network
To promote the achievement of improvements to the safety of small water supplies
Networking idea:• Advocate for political support
• Sharing of good practices, experiences and information
• Fostering Research
• Development of internationally-recognized guidance and tools for the management of small water supplies
Face-to-face meetings and information on “virtual forum” in the internet
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
Tools to assist
Access to over 500 training tools
Access to over 300 examples of risk communication tools
Access to over 50 examples of risk assessment tools
Online searchable database of terms (Lexicon)
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
Water Safety in Small Scale Water Suppliesin the European Region
Warsaw, Poland18 June 2009
International Small Community Water Supply Network
Open to anyone working on the topic of small water supplies:
• Government and non-government organizations, universities
• There are over 40 countries currently represented in the Network
For more information, please email to [email protected]