Abstract
The success of source protection in ensuring safe drinking water is centered around being able to understand the hazards present in the catchment then plan and implement control measures to manage water quality risk to levels which can be controlled through downstream barriers. The programs in place to manage source protection are complex sociotechnical systems involving policy, standards, regulators, technology, human factors and so on. This study uses System Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA) to analyze the operational hazards of a typical drinking water source protection (DWSP) program and identify countermeasures to ensure safe operations. To validate the STPA results a questionnaire was developed based on selective grouping of the initial countermeasures identified and distributed to specialists in DWSP in Taiwan, Australia and Greece. Through statistical analysis using Principle Components Analysis (PCA), the study identified four critical success factors (CSFs) for DWSP based on the questionnaire responses. The four CSFs identified were “Policy and Government Agency Support of Source Protection”, “Catchment Risk Monitoring and Information”, “Support of Operational Field Activities” and “Response to Water Quality Threats”. The results of this study provide insight into the approach of grouping of source protection measures to identify a series of targeted CSF for operational source protection programs. Using CSF can aid catchment management agencies in ensuring that the risk level in the catchment is managed effectively and that threats to public health from drinking water are managed appropriately.
Highlights
IntroductionIn most drinking water schemes, catchment management and source protection are the first barriers in the supply of safe drinking water [1,2]
First and foremost, for the supply of safe drinking water is the need to ensure the protection of public health for the consumers without the burden of excessive supply costs
Protecting drinking water catchments reduces health risks associated with enteric pathogens, chemical contamination, toxic compounds produced by cyanobacteria, and disinfection by products
Summary
In most drinking water schemes, catchment management and source protection are the first barriers in the supply of safe drinking water [1,2]. Two of the most common threats considered in source protection are the potential public health impacts from contaminated water and the potential to compromise downstream processes from water quality parameters that inhibits the ability of the process to operate as required for safe drinking water production. Protection of drinking water catchments provides key services in the supply of safe drinking water through reducing the number of pathogens and organic matter entering downstream treatment facilities. From a system-wide perspective, controlling pathogens reduces acute enteric risks, and controlling organic matter reduces unwanted disinfection by-products (DBPs) formed during treatment and disinfection [4]. In some cases where disinfection and treatment has been improved chlorite remains an issue due to the poor quality of surface water sources [5]
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