Drinking Water Quality Surveillance Research Articles

Implementation of drinking water quality surveillance and household water management practices in selected provinces in Indonesia

Safely managed drinking water (SMDW) is a prerequisite for maintaining human health and well-being. Therefore, drinking water quality surveillance (DWQS) is an appropriate approach to achieve the targets of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, particularly the SMDW indicator as the highest ladder of drinking water services. The objective of this study was to elicit information on current DWQS and household drinking water management practices (HDWMP) in South Sumatera, West Java, South Kalimantan, and North Sulawesi Provinces. The methods included an in-depth interview with 35 informants and an interview with 175 households using a structured questionnaire. The results revealed that the DWQS did not fully comply with Health Ministerial Decree (HMD) No. 736/2010, particularly in dealing with sample size, the availability of reagents, comprehensive reports, and recommendations for remedial actions. Dealing with the HDMWP, 46.86% of households used piped water, followed by protected dug wells (30.29%), boreholes (12.00%), and refilled water (10.86%). Only 43.43% of household water sources were free from Escherichia coli, where these were dominated by urban households. The majority of households complied with the chemical quality of several parameters. The proportion of households with SMDW was 35.9% and it was much higher than that of the national level. As such, the improvement of drinking water surveillance is needed through the implementation of water safety plans.

Occurrence of chemical substances in water supply systems of Brazil: a nonparametric approach for statistical analysis of Sisagua data

The objective of this work was to develop a methodology for statistical analysis of monitoring data of chemical compounds in drinking water supply systems in Brazil, using data from Sisagua (Drinking Water Quality Surveillance Information System). Initially, the inconsistencies in the database were identified and adjusted. Then, the descriptive statistics were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier (KM) method, evaluating its applicability in different censored data sets. The descriptive parameters were compared with the substitution method. The substitution method showed susceptibility to biased estimates, especially for groups of compounds containing high percentage of censored data and with high limits of quantification and detection, leading to higher descriptive parameters compared to KM method. This work reinforces the need to use appropriate methods for analyzing environmental data and evidences that the analysis of this type of data may be complex. The methods proposed here can help environmental scientists to deal with this issue, providing a systematic procedure to check and solve consistency problems, as well as presenting a nonparametric approach for computing descriptive statistics for environmental monitoring data.

Drinking Water Quality Surveillance Information System (SISAGUA): evaluation of data completeness on water supply coverage, Brazil, 2014-2020.

To evaluate the completeness of dataset of the Drinking Water Quality Surveillance Information System (SISAGUA) regarding information on the coverage of water supply for human consumption in Brazil. This was a descriptive study on data between 2014 and 2020. A relative frequency distribution of 35 variables was calculated. Completeness was categorized as excellent (≥ 95%), good (90% to 94%), regular (70% to 89%), poor (50% to 69%) and very poor (≤ 49%). In the period, there were 861,250 records of forms of water supply. With regard to data completeness, SISAGUA obtained an excellent classification for 25 variables, good for two, regular for three, poor for one and very poor for four variables. The system showed excellent data completeness for most of the variables. This type of study contributes to the continuous improvement of SISAGUA and enables the identification of inconsistencies and weaknesses.

Drinking water quality surveillance status for Amazonas state's 62 counties

Abstract Introduction The state of Amazonas is the largest state in Brazil and it has 62 counties, including Manaus, its capital, all of which have plenty of water resources. The control and surveillance of water quality, as well as the sewage treatment must be carried out satisfactorily in order to avoid a favorable environment for the development of pathogens that cause water related diseases. Objectives Assess the quality of the water supplied to the population of the 62 counties in the period of 2015-2019. Methods Quantitative and qualitative descriptive study, based on secondary data taken from Water Quality Surveillance Information System for Human Consumption. and analyzed from the available database at the Health Surveillance Foundation. Information was gathered on the type of collection, treatment, control, surveillance and microbiological (total coliforms and Escherichia coli). Results it was observed that 73% of the counties use underground water (well), 19% superficial (rivers) and 8% mixed combination (underground and superficial); 35% undergo chlorine treatment; less than 50%, averaging 26 counties, carry out control, surveillance and/or combined control and surveillance activities; on average: 29% have control data; 23% of surveillance and of these, 19% embody it effectively (≥ 7 months/year) and 19% of control and surveillance simultaneously. During the study, 46,670 microbiological analysis were carried out and of these 10,603 (23%) presented total coliforms and 2.265, approximately 4.9%, unsatisfactory result for human consumption due to the presence of Escherichia coli. The data demonstrate that the control and surveillance of water quality is carried out in an unsatisfactory manner, highlighting the need to strengthen the performance of the health sector and those responsible for an alternative water supply system or alternative solution in the state Amazonas. Key messages Measuring the effectiveness of surveillance actions are necessary for water quality control. Vigilance actions are important to reduce morbidity and mortality due to water transmission problems.

Surveillance of public water supply fluoridation and municipal indicators: an analysis in the state of Espirito Santo, Brazil

This study investigated the demographic, socioeconomic, and municipal health indicators related to the quality of water fluoridation. An ecological study was carried out in Espirito Santo state (ES), based on data from the Drinking Water Quality Surveillance Information, from 2014 to 2017. The non-parametric Mann-Whitney and Spearman tests were applied to compare municipal indicators with the availability of information and the quality of fluoridation, respectively. Fluoridation quality was calculated to define the percentage of fluoride concentration values in each municipality within the range of the optimal level corresponding to the maximum benefit for preventing dental caries and minimum risk for the occurrence of dental fluorosis. The proportion of 80% or more samples were defined as a compliance criterion. In 2014, 62.8% of the municipalities had information available, and 16.7% performed analyses of fluoride concentration. The percentage of available data increased about 30%, in 2017, with 3.8% referring to fluoride. The quality of fluoridation remained high (> 80%) in ES in almost every year, except in 2014. The municipalities with the largest population, the highest GDP per capita, and the lowest coverage of the oral health team exhibited a greater availability of information about fluoride (p <0.05). The child mortality rate showed a strong negative correlation with the quality of fluoridation. The findings reinforce the importance of directing public policies that ensure the correct practices for monitoring and maintaining the quality of fluoridation.

Evaluation of the drinking water quality surveillance system in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro

The present work evaluated the surveillance of the drinking water quality information system database and correlated the findings of the microbiological analysis with the distribution of intestinal protozoa from the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro. From the database, we obtained 1,654 georeferenced monitoring stations that were used in the analysis. The results indicate that the minimum number of samples collected per parameter (free residual chlorine, turbidity, counts of total and fecal coliforms (Escherichia coli)) was not fulfilled, the collection of samples throughout the year was irregular and the representability of sampling points considered strategic was low (48% of municipalities). Besides, municipalities with a high prevalence for intestinal parasite protozoa were also the ones that had the highest counts for coliforms and the reverse can also be observed, indicating a transmission through contaminated drinking water. Despite the increased participation of municipalities in water surveillance actions during the studied period, it is necessary to implement managerial measures to improve the system, aiming to correct flaws and inconsistencies in the application of the water quality monitoring protocol.

Whither regulation, risk and water safety plans? Case studies from Malaysia and from England and Wales

We explore the interplay between preventative risk management and regulatory style for the implementation of water safety plans in Malaysia and in England and Wales, two jurisdictions with distinct philosophies of approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 water safety professionals in Malaysia, 23 in England and Wales, supported by 6 Focus Group Discussions (n = 53 participants). A grounded theory approach produced insights on the transition from drinking water quality surveillance to preventative risk management. Themes familiar to this type of regulatory transition emerged, including concerns about compliance policy; overseeing the risk management controls of regulatees with varied competencies and funds available to drive change; and the portfolio of interventions suited to a more facilitative regulatory style. Because the potential harm from waterborne illness is high where pathogen exposures occur, the transition to risk-informed regulation demands mature organisational cultures among water utilities and regulators, and a laser-like focus on ensuring risk management controls are delivered within water supply systems.

Drinking water quality surveillance for the state health care clinics in the city of Manaus, Brazil

Abstract Introduction Microbial contamination of drinking water is a public health problem due to its pathogenic potential. In Brazil, the MS/GM no.5/2017 ordinance, sets guidelines for monitoring water quality for human consumption (VQACH). The state of Amazonas is part of the Amazon biome as one of the seven states from the north region of Brazil and its capital, Manaus, located in the geographic center in the Amazon is shelter to more than 2.000.000 inhabitants. Objectives Evaluate microbiological parameters of water quality in state health care clinics in Manaus. Methods In the period between, January 2017 to December 2019 through actions of the Health Surveillance Foundation (FVS) and Amazonas Central Laboratory (LACEN) actions of VQACH were implemented following the current legislation standards. 62 health care clinics were monitored, making a total of 1,715 water samples, which resulted in the same number of microbiological analyzes; the reports issued had their results arranged in monthly and annual tables, allowing a comparative study between the number of samples analyzed and the percentages with absence of total coliforms and satisfactory for Escherichia coli (E.coli). Results The VQACH actions, resulted in significant gains in terms of improving water quality in the monitored clinics. The number of samples analyzed in the period increased from 355 to 757 (53%); the average positive index for total coliforms decreased from 28% to 19%; the average satisfactory index for E.coli increased from 93% to 97%, corroborating the result of the actions and strategies that were carried out. Conclusions For the period prior to 2017, there are no data released regarding the VQACH of the health care clinics in Manaus. Surveillance actions are an essential measure for restoring water quality. It is suggested to maintain the actions carried out, along with measures of a permanent educational awareness. Key messages Measuring the effectiveness of surveillance actions are necessary for water quality control. Vigilance actions are important to reduce morbidity and mortality due to water transmission problems.

Drinking Water Quality Surveillance Information System (SISAGUA): characteristics, evolution and applicability.

The Drinking Water Quality Surveillance Information System (SISAGUA) is an instrument used in Brazil to record forms of water supply and water quality monitoring data recommended by the potable water standard. This information is used in the management of health risks associated with water supply in the country and supports the surveillance of drinking water quality, the structuring of public policies in the area of environmental health and sanitation, the prevention of waterborne diseases, and the characterization of the quality of water consumed by the Brazilian population. This article describes the history of SISAGUA and presents the main features of its current version (SISAGUA 4) regarding data collection and processing, variables, uses and accesses, data coverage and quality, as well as the system's applicability, limitations and challenges.

SURVEILLANCE ON THE DRINKING WATER QUALITY IN RIO DE JANEIRO STATE

Abstract Despite the significant improvements in water quality surveillance, irregular settlements and poor sanitation conditions have increased the impact and risk of health grievances over the past few decades. The aim of this study is to assess the development of the Drinking Water Quality Surveillance Program in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, by measuring the compliance with water sampling and 2014 analysis plans such as the residual free chlorine, turbidity and total coliforms / Escherichia coli tests (Health Ministry Ordinance, No. 2.914/11). Results have shown variation between counties and regions. The Middle Paraiba Region has shown the best results and the North and Northwest regions presented the worst ones. Since 2009, there has been improvements in the conducted quantitative analyses. These analyses indicate better program implementations, mainly focused on the test to measure the number of Coliforms / E. coli. An action plan based on intersectoral approach with the aim to assure high-quality access to the entire population was proposed to overcome the current problems in the program.

Emerging Potable Water Technologies

Water is essential to keep up life, especially safe drinking water is one of the first priorities. As water quality is important, many nations endeavor to guard the water and to increase access to potable water. Fortification of water supplies from contamination is the earliest stripe of defence. Water purification is very important aspect, presently there are number of drinking water technologies available mostly based on ion exchange, ultra filtration and reverse osmosis techniques, but still about five million people die annually from water born diseases. The objective of this review is to provide direction on the chemical safety of drinking-water and also monitoring of chemicals in drinking-water. Water treatment potential technologies can solve diverse drinking water issues in case of chemical contamination, which is the second objective. The purpose of this review is to make survey of currently available and future emerging technologies for drinking water. Several purification techniques have been adopted to meet the standards. There is a necessity of wide-ranging global approach to tackle the problem of water pollution devastating thousand of lives annually rather than to develop nuclear and biological weapons. This document will also be useful to public health authorities, those responsible for setting standards and for surveillance of drinking-water quality, and to water supply agencies responsible for water quality management.

Pesticides in Drinking Water - The Brazilian Monitoring Program.

Brazil is the world largest pesticide consumer; therefore, it is important to monitor the levels of these chemicals in the water used by population. The Ministry of Health coordinates the National Drinking Water Quality Surveillance Program (Vigiagua) with the objective to monitor water quality. Water quality data are introduced in the program by state and municipal health secretariats using a database called Sisagua (Information System of Water Quality Monitoring). Brazilian drinking water norm (Ordinance 2914/2011 from Ministry of Health) includes 27 pesticide active ingredients that need to be monitored every 6 months. This number represents <10% of current active ingredients approved for use in the country. In this work, we analyzed data compiled in Sisagua database in a qualitative and quantitative way. From 2007 to 2010, approximately 169,000 pesticide analytical results were prepared and evaluated, although approximately 980,000 would be expected if all municipalities registered their analyses. This shows that only 9–17% of municipalities registered their data in Sisagua. In this dataset, we observed non-compliance with the minimum sampling number required by the norm, lack of information about detection and quantification limits, insufficient standardization in expression of results, and several inconsistencies, leading to low credibility of pesticide data provided by the system. Therefore, it is not possible to evaluate exposure of total Brazilian population to pesticides via drinking water using the current national database system Sisagua. Lessons learned from this study could provide insights into the monitoring and reporting of pesticide residues in drinking water worldwide.

Drinking Water Quality Surveillance in a Vulnerable Urban Ward of Ahmedabad

The World Bank estimates that 21% of all communicable diseases in India are related to unsafe water with diarrhoea alone causing more than 0.1 million deaths annually. The WHO drinking water surveillance parameters of quality, quantity, accessibility, affordability and continuity were assessed in one vulnerable ward of Ahmedabad—a fast growing city in Western India. Interviews with key informants of the ward office, health centre and water supply department, secondary analysis and mapping of field test reports and a questionnaire-based survey of different household types were conducted. We found that Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) supplies water to the ward intermittently for two hours during the day. Housing society clusters supplement their AMC water supply with untested bore-well water. The water quality surveillance system is designed for a twenty-four-hour piped distribution of treated surface water. However, in order to maintain surveillance over an intermittent supply that includes ground water, the sampling process should include periodic surveys of water actually consumed by the citizens. The laboratory capacity of the Central Water Testing Laboratory should expand to include more refined tests for microbial and chemical contamination.

Diurnal variation and evaluation of physico-chemical properties of the Ikpoba River, Southern Nigeria

This study was carried out to evaluate the magnitude of diurnal variation of physicochemical parameters and potability of the Ikpoba River. Water samples were taken from stations 1 and 2 within the Reservoir and station 3 downstream. Water quality parameters showed significant diurnal, seasonal and spatial variations. In the dry season, transparency was lowest at 12 midnight, while turbidity peaked at 6 p.m. The pH was more alkaline towards mid-night, and more acidic during rainy season. Alkalinity was highest at 12 noon, while chloride peaked at 12 mid-night. NO3, SO4, DO, BOD5, Na, K, Ca and Mg had higher mean values in the dry season. The heavy metals, Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn and Cr showed significant (P&lt;0.05) diurnal variation in the dry season, while Cu, Mn, Cd and Cr were not detected in the rainy season. Zn, Fe and Pb had higher mean concentrations in the rainy season. Spatially, TDS showed significant variation (P&lt;0.05), being highest in station 1 and lowest in station 3 during the dry season. NO3, PO4, DO, Ca and Mg showed significant spatial differences during the dry season. The DO was significantly higher (P&lt;0.05) in station 3 than in stations 1 and 2 in both seasons. Ca was significantly higher (P&lt;0.01) within the Reservoir than in station 3. Zn and Cu were significantly higher within the Reservoir, while Pb had the highest concentration in station 3. pH, BOD, Fe, Pb and Cd did not meet the Federal Ministry of Environment regulatory standards for drinking water. Diurnally, the worse case scenario for noncompliance occurred at 6 p.m., and spatially at station 3. Surveillance of drinking-water quality is therefore recommended for the Ikpoba River and other sources of community potable water supplies to avert possible health hazards. An understanding of diurnal and seasonal variability in environmental sensitivities is imperative in water quality control and assurance during data acquisition.Key words: Diurnal, seasonal variation; water quality, regulatory standards, Ikpoba River, southern Nigeria

The effects of incubation period and temperature on the Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) technique for detection of faecal contamination in water

A total of 171 water samples from 3 sources were analyzed for the presence of faecal contamination by standard MPN, P/A, EC-M and H2S techniques at different temperatures and incubation times. Analysis of water samples by H2S technique showed that the incubation period of H2S bottles is highly dependent on temperature and concentration of faecal coliform bacteria. Incubation temperature was changed from 22 to 45°C. At higher temperatures (45°C) the bottles turned to black after a 6 h incubation period. Correlation of H2S technique with P/A and MPN techniques were 75.4 and 71%, respectively. Furthermore, the P/A technique showed a correlation of 60.9% with standard MPN technique. In relation to the faecal coliform and by using EC-M technique, we obtained a correlation percentage of 65.1, 56 and 62.3% for standard MPN, H2S and P/A techniques, respectively. This study indicated that incubation period and temperature had significant effects (P = 0.05) on the efficiency of H2S technique. The times when H2S bottles take to turn black is dependent on the number of faecal bacteria, an indicator of the risk that pathogenic organisms are present. Based on the results obtained in this study, we concluded that H2S technique is a reliable method that can be used as an alternative for indication of faecal contamination and drinking water quality surveillance. By using this technique at high t emperatures, rapid screening of large number of water samples in a short period can be profitable especially when the number of drinking water sources is high.

A survey of tap water quality in Kuala Lumpur

A safe drinking water programme known as The National Drinking Water Quality Surveillance Programme (NDWQSP) was launched by the Ministry of Health, Government of Malaysia in 1983 to ensure safe practices in water treatment and distribution. The aim of this work was to assess the effectiveness of this programme in the improvement of tap water quality in and around Kuala Lumpur. The results indicate that there was no microbial contamination in 100 random samples collected from 20 selected areas. Other quality parameters such as colour, pH, turbidity, hardness, magnesium, sulphate and chloride were within acceptable limits. Heavy metals such as Cu2+, Pb2+, Cr (total), Ni2+, Cd2+, Fe (total) and Mn (total) were also under control. The only exception was Ba2+, which did not comply with the standard and was up to ten times higher than the guideline value. Moreover, there was significant variation in water quality as indicated by the test results.

A vigilância da qualidade da água para consumo humano: desafios e perspectivas para o Sistema Único de Saúde

O controle da qualidade da água de consumo humano se tornou uma ação de saúde pública a partir da década de 1970, quando a portaria No 52 Bsb 77 do Ministério da Saúde instituiu a norma de potabilidade em todo o território nacional. Entretanto, a implementação de um programa de vigilância da qualidade da água só ocorreu a partir da criação do Sistema Nacional de Vigilância Ambiental em Saúde em 1999, e da publicação da portaria 1.469 em 2000. O objetivo deste artigo é discutir os desafios que se colocam para a vigilância da qualidade da água, não só como proposta racionalizadora das ações do Estado, mas como prática sanitária de vigilância em saúde que tenha como perspectiva incorporar a promoção e a proteção da saúde ao conjunto de medidas adotadas pelo SUS, atendendo ainda às seguintes diretrizes: geração de dados, análise e disseminação da informação; descentralização; intersetorialidade e participação da sociedade. O artigo está organizado de modo a descrever, a partir de uma perspectiva histórica, o processo de normatização e regulação da qualidade da água para o consumo humano, abordando os principais desafios e perspectivas da vigilância da qualidade da água no sentido da busca por ações intersetoriais e descentralizadas, abertas a uma gestão participativa voltada para o controle social.

Indicadores epidemiológicos aplicáveis a estudos sobre a associação entre saneamento e saúde de base municipal

É relativamente recente no país a prática da vigilância ambiental em saúde, sendo que a vigilância da qualidade da água para consumo humano, parte integrante da vigilância ambiental em saúde, ressente-se de estudos e pesquisas que forneçam suporte científico à formulação de instrumentos para a prática de tal vigilância. Nesse campo, a formulação e seleção de indicadores epidemiológicos constituem atividade essencial para representar os efeitos da insuficiência das ações de saneamento sobre a saúde humana e, portanto, como ferramenta para a vigilância e orientação de programas e planos de alocação de recursos em saneamento. O presente artigo é parte de um trabalho mais abrangente, elaborado para selecionar indicadores sanitários como sentinelas na prevenção e controle de doenças e agravos relacionados ao saneamento. Neste artigo são enfocados os indicadores epidemiológicos utilizados naquele estudo, apresentando a revisão bibliográfica, resultados da estatística descritiva desses indicadores, a discussão e conclusões sobre os indicadores epidemiológicos mais apropriados para serem utilizados emestudos dessa natureza. Destacam-se, como indicadores convenientes, a mortalidade infantil, a mortalidade até cinco anos por doenças diarréicas e a morbidade até cinco anos por doenças diarréicas com base na MDDA - monitorização de doenças diarréicas agudas.

Development of Drinking Water Quality Surveillance in Malaysia

This paper seeks to outline the development of a national programme for surveillance of drinking water quality in Malaysia. The need for such a programme defining organisational responsibilities, functions, procedures, activities and follow-up remedial actions was identified in a country-wide survey on drinking-water quality surveillance problems in 1983. The programme was planned based on W H O's “Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality” (Draft 1983), taking into consideration the survey findings, and implemented with reasonable success within the constraints of existing levels of manpower, facility and budgetary resources.

Surveillance of Drinking-water Quality. (World Heath Organization Monograph Series No. 63.) World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland: 135 pp., figs and tables, 24 × 16 × 0.7 cm, clothbound edition Sw.fr. 29 or US $11.60 (no price indicated for edn in stiff paper covers), (available also in French, Russian, and Spanish), 1976.

Surveillance of Drinking-water Quality. (World Heath Organization Monograph Series No. 63.) World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland: 135 pp., figs and tables, 24 × 16 × 0.7 cm, clothbound edition Sw.fr. 29 or US $11.60 (no price indicated for edn in stiff paper covers), (available also in French, Russian, and Spanish), 1976.