Water Safety Plans Research Articles

Water safety management during the initial phase of the Covid-19 pandemic: challenges, responses and guidance

ABSTRACT Water safety plans address both routine operations and incident responses to support risk management in drinking water utilities. Their use and relevance in facing the challenges of the Covid-19 crisis were investigated via a survey distributed to water utilities and health or environmental agencies across the globe. Responses from 86 respondents from 38 countries were analysed to identify the water safety challenges faced and responses. Water safety plans appear to provide some preparedness and organizational advantages to utilities in facing the Covid-19 crisis, including stronger communication links between utilities and governing agencies. Guidance for future water safety planning is provided.

The revised European Directive 2020/2184 on the quality of water intended for human consumption. A step forward in risk assessment, consumer safety and informative communication

Water is an indispensable element for humankind and indeed all living beings; as such it is essential that it be supplied in adherence with safety and security criteria so as to fulfill its primordial role in community development. Therefore, the European Union has issued a new Directive on drinking water, updating the previous one (98/83/EC).The main new features of the updated Directive issued on January 12, 2021 include:• The adoption of a risk-based approach, in accordance with the principles of the Water Safety Plan, along the entire supply chain including the domestic system from the meter to the tap;• The updating of some quality standards, mainly related to the introduction of new parameters and the modification of parameter values for some in a more restrictive sense and for others in more permissive terms;• The identification of possible emerging pollutants present in supply sources (catchment areas);• The demand for effective and transparent communication to citizens on the quality of the water supplied, necessary to foster consumer confidence in the mains water supply.The Directive is the first European legislation adopted following a European Citizens' Initiative (ECI), a European Union participatory democracy tool launched through the “Right2Water” initiative aiming to positively affect the environment. Indeed, the increased consumer confidence in tap water resulting from the desired improvement in communication to citizens should lead to a gradual reduction in the use of plastic water bottles.In addition, the Directive confirms what WHO has been reporting for some time through its Water Safety Plans. It is not limited to monitoring activities but also reproposes and promotes a generalised safety approach based on risk identification and management along the entire drinking water supply chain (from the catchment area to extraction, treatment, storage including distribution).The revised Directive will become the reference standard for the quality of water intended for human consumption in EU countries, and its entry into force will make it possible to minimise the harmful impacts of pollution on human health.

Study of Risks in Rural Water Supply Systems of Khorramshahr City, Iran, Based on Water Safety Plan

Background: Water safety planning is a comprehensive risk assessment and management approach encompassing all steps in a drinking-water supply chain, from catchment to consumer. A Water Safety Plan (WSP) ensures drinking water safety through this approach. In this study, risk factors are initially identified and evaluated. Then control and corrective measures are determined to reduce or eliminate health and environmental hazards of rural water supply systems in Khorramshahr City, Iran, according to the guidelines of the WSP provided by the World Health Organization. Methods: This research is a descriptive cross-sectional study in which rural water supply systems in Khorramshahr were studied using the Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) risk systematic method. The Risk Priority Number (RPN) was calculated to determine the risk level after identifying 14 risk factors using experts’ opinions. Then, control and corrective measures were considered for medium, high, and very high-level risk factors. Results: The evaluation results of 14 risk factors identified in the distribution network and point of consumption indicated that 71.5% of them were at the medium risk level and 28.5% at the high (critical) risk level. After determining control and corrective measures, 92.9% of risk factors reached the medium (manageable) level and 7.1% the critical level. Conclusion: This result indicates that water safety guidelines can replace traditional methods of inspection and process control, and significant improvements can be achieved with the help of risk assessment by the FMEA method and step-by-step implementation of the WSP as an essential evolutionary solution for preventive measures and reducing the level of existing risks.

Ensuring safe drinking water – successes in rural Nepal

Risk-based water safety interventions aim to ensure safe and reliable drinking water supply from source to consumer. In Nepal, water safety plans are increasingly being adopted, but evidence of their effectiveness in remote areas is still weak. This study presents new evidence on the effectiveness of risk-based water safety interventions in rural areas by analysing their effect on water quality, infrastructure reliability and users’ perception.

ORIGINAL TEXTBOOK “WATER BODIES OF UKRAINE AND RECREATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF WATER QUALITY” WAS PUBLISHED

The content of the textbook “Water bodies of Ukraine and Recreational Water Quality Assessment” published by Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University professors Valentyn Khilchevskyi and Vasyl Grebin in 2022 was analyzed. The textbook, which is the first of its kind in Ukraine, describes water bodies objects of Ukraine, which gives an idea of their recreational potential. The book examines WHO recommendations on recreational water quality and the creation of recreational water safety plans, the EU directive on bathing water quality management, and features of regulatory assessment of water quality for recreational purposes in Ukraine. Quantitative characteristics of natural and artificial surface water bodies on the territory of Ukraine are as follows: 63,119 rivers; about 20 thousand lakes; 1054 reservoirs; 50793 – ponds; 6 large channels. The importance of the use of water for recreational purposes in the 21st century is put on a par with the economic and drinking and industrial water supply, as well as for the purposes of agriculture and energy. The WHO recommendations on recreational water quality, which are discussed in the training manual, are aimed at protecting public health through the safe management of water quality for recreational purposes, in particular: establishing national health targets for recreational waters, which include: microbial content (from fecal pollution); cyanotoxins (from harmful algal blooms); if necessary – other microbial hazards, beach sand and chemicals; development and implementation of recreational water safety plans (RWPS) for priority bathing places; carrying out constant surveillance and informing about the risks of diseases associated with recreational water and timely provision of information about health risks to the public. The training manual emphasizes that along with the normative assessment of the state of beaches by controlling state bodies, a system of international voluntary environmental certification of beach management is developing in the world. The “Blue Flag” program belongs to them. In 2021, 4,831 beaches and marinas in 50 countries received the Blue Flag. Beaches that received the “Blue Flag” are included in the list of the World Tourism Organization as recommended for visiting. Ukraine joined the Blue Flag program in 2010. And in 2021, 19 Ukrainian beaches were awarded the Blue Flag certificate..

Development of multi-residue gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry methodologies for the measurement of 15 chemically different disinfection by-products (DBPs) of emerging concern in drinking water from two different Portuguese water treatment plants.

In water treatment plants (WTPs), chemical agents, such as chlorine and ozone, might react with organic matter and anthropogenic contaminants, forming a high diversity of disinfection by-products (DBPs). Due to the potential toxicological effects, the identification of unregulated DBPs (UR-DBPs) is critical to help water managers in the selection of effective water treatment processes, contributing to improving water safety plans. Given the limited validated analytical methods to detect UR-DBPs, here we developed new multi-residue gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry methodologies for the detection and quantification of 15 UR-DBPs, including aldehydes, haloketones (HKs), nitrosamines and alcohols, in drinking water matrices. Solid-phase extraction (SPE), for the nitrosamine group, and solid-phase micro extraction (SPME), for the remaining DBPs, were used as sample preparation methods. The developed methodologies allowed the quantification of target UR-DBPs at trace concentration levels (ng L-1), with method quantification limits (MQLs) ranging from 14.4 ng L-1 to 26.0 ng L-1 (SPE-GC-MS) and 2.3 ng L-1 and 1596 ng L-1 (SPME-GC-MS). The methods were applied to different drinking water matrices, considering distinct delivery points of EPAL - Empresa Portuguesa das Águas Livres WTPs. Overall, the aldehyde group, represented by decanal, nonanal and 2-ethylheaxanal, showed the highest occurrence, followed by HKs and nitrosamines. The results of this study suggested that the formation of these UR-DBPs should be further monitored in WTPs.

MANAGEMENT OF WATER QUALITY IN SOME DIALYSIS CENTRES IN GIZA GOVERNORATE HOSPITALS, EGYPT

Dialysis patients are exposed to more than 40 times more water per week than healthy individuals drink. Therefore, this study aims at how to prevent risk factors that may be in the dialysis water by water quality monitoring to develop a Dialysis Water Safety Plan (DWSP) appropriate for the water source quality and conditions of each dialysis unit to prevent morbidity and mortality associated with dialysis water contaminants. 204 samples were taken from hospitals drinking water before treatment and 342 samples after treatment from 24 dialysis units from 17 hospitals that are fed from surface or underground sources in Giza from April 2020 to March 2021 monthly. Chemical and microbiological analysis were performed according to the American standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater. Visiting the treatment units once a month to monitor any change or inefficiency in any part of the unit. The findings showed that drinking water results were applicable to Egyptian limits except 2.45% for ammonia, iron (9.3%), manganese (6.86%), Total Coliform (2.9%), Escherichia coli (1.96%) and heterotrophic plate count in 1.96%. Hemodialysis water were not applicable for residual chlorine (0.87%), ammonia (1.46%), nitrites (2.6%), sodium(0.58%), potassium (0.29%), calcium (2.05%), magnesium (1.46%), total dissolved solids (1.46%), aluminium (0.58%). Total Coliform (2.6%), and E.coli in (1.46%), Pseudomonas (5.3%) and Streptococcus in (2.6%), and heterotrophic plate count (4.1%). But after the corrective actions according to DWSP, all samples became applicable. Thus, it is clear that DWSP should be implemented by developing an understanding of the system and its ability to provide safe dialysis water

Microbial Source Tracking Using Molecular and Cultivable Methods in a Tropical Mixed-Use Drinking Water Source to Support Water Safety Plans

Microbial Source Tracking Using Molecular and Cultivable Methods in a Tropical Mixed-Use Drinking Water Source to Support Water Safety Plans

Trends in drowning mortality in Portugal from 1992 to 2019: comparing Global Burden of Disease and national data

IntroductionImprecise data systems hinder understanding of drowning burden, even in high-income countries like Portugal, that have a well-implemented death certificate system. Consequently, national studies on drowning mortality are scarce. We...

Water sanitation, hygiene and the prevalence of diarrhea in the rural areas of the delta region of Myanmar.

Myanmar is an agriculture-based country with 70% of the total population residing in rural areas. Around half of the total population in Myanmar has to consume water from unimproved sources. The prevalence of diarrhea due to contaminated drinking water is high even in urban areas. The urban community may expect the provision of municipal water supply in the near future if the current revolution against military dictatorship succeeds. However, the rural areas have less or no chance to get quality water because of a lot of other prioritized tasks. Household water treatment is encouraged to be implemented as one of the national water safety plans for rural water supply in Myanmar. This study explored the diarrhea prevention awareness of the rural community using a questionnaire survey. The microbial quality parameters of drinking water sources were also examined. Fecal coliform contamination was detected in all examined drinking water sources. A significant association was found between drinking untreated water and the occurrence of diarrhea. The percentage of people who applied the diarrhea preventive measures was low. Even if they knew how to prevent the disease, very few people applied the measures in reality. Therefore, measures to cause behavioral change should be initiated, together with awareness raising, to promote diarrhea prevention in the community.

Water Safety Plans -The case of Portugal

Water supply is a structural and irreplaceable service, essential to promote public health, to pursue economic activities, and crucial for environmental conservation, reflecting the population’s quality of life and the status of sustainable development. In this context, it is imperative to assure the continuous improvement of all processes and practices conducive to guarantee water quality. Water Safety Plans (WSP) are an important public policy tool to accomplish these goals. This manuscript reviews the international evidence of the adoption and implementation of WSP and reports the current situation in Jordan, as part of the necessary adjustment of the national legal framework to the publication of the Directive (EU) 2015/1787, October 6th, on water quality for human consumption. The aim is to draw lessons from several successful WSP experiments around the world and extract lessons from these cases when drafting new legislation in Portugal and elsewhere. Findings suggest there are four critical components in developing and implementing WSP: commitment, technical knowledge, governance, and interagency collaboration. © 2018. JASET, International Scholars and Researchers Association

Evaluation of Multidrug-Resistant P. aeruginosa in Healthcare Facility Water Systems.

According to the WHO, P. aeruginosa is one of the antibiotic-resistant bacteria that represent the biggest threat to public health. The aim of the study was to establish the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant P. aeruginosa in the water systems of various healthcare facilities over the course of nine years. A total of 4500 tap water system samples were taken from seventeen healthcare facilities. The culture method was used to detect P. aeruginosa, and the isolates were then tested for antibiotic resistance using the standardised disc diffusion method. Eleven antibiotics from five different classes were tested. P. aeruginosa was found to have contaminated 2.07% (no. 93) of the water samples. The majority of positive samples came from the dental units (30.11%) and the ward kitchens (23.66%). Considering the total isolates, 56.99% (no. 3) were resistant to at least one of the antibiotics tested. A total of 71.43% of P. aeruginosa isolated from water emerging from dental unit handpieces was antibiotic-resistant, with 45% of it resistant to ≥3 classes of antibiotics. Out of the total isolates, 19.35% showed resistance to carbapenems. It would be advisable to systematically screen tap water for opportunistic micro-organisms such as P. aeruginosa, as many countries already do, including this in the Water Safety Plan.

Accomplishment of water safety plan using quality assurance tool in 2020-2021: A case study in a western city of Gilan province, Iran

Background: Water safety plan is a systematic approach to ensure the quality of water delivered to consumers from catchment to consumption. Methods: This study was conducted on the groundwater system of Talesh, Gilan, in 2020-2021. A Water Safety Plan (WSP) consists of 5 phases and 12 steps. In the implementation of this plan, all modules were reviewed. Software checklists were prepared and based on the background information in Talesh Water and Wastewater Company, interviews with experts and field visits were performed, and then, entered into WSP QA TOOL software. Results: Out of 440 raw scores, 222 points were obtained, indicating 50.45% compliance with WSP. The description system with the highest score (100%) and the management procedures with the lowest score (50%) were in line with this plan. The stages of development and supporting program and review of WSP cannot be evaluated due to the incomplete implementation of water safety plan in Talesh. Between different parts of the water supply system, more attention has been paid to production sources and points of use. Conclusion: This study identifies the inefficiency in dependence on the final tests and the necessary items in updating the supply system of Talesh. According to the study of the different stages of WSP, the system has a moderate level of safety.

Risk assessment and water safety planning for rural water supply in Uttarakhand, India.

A water safety plan (WSP) has been developed for rural water supply in Dehradun district, Uttarakhand, India. Four public water utilities were chosen to demonstrate the application of WSP in improving the rural drinking water quality along with improved sanitation. Hazard identification and risk assessment carried out identified 10 hazardous events at all four utilities. Intermittent water supply, poor repair and maintenance of the supply channel machinery, and individual household sanitation practices were the potential sources of contamination. The study showed encouraging results, where the evaluated risks decreased substantially after implementing the control measures, along with improved water quality after WSP implementation which showed statistically significant results (p < .05) for all tested parameters, namely, turbidity (p = .000), total dissolved solids (p = .004), residual-free chlorine (p = .004), total coliforms (p = .000), and fecal coliforms (p = .003). The sanitation condition of water source and households also improved by adopting the suggested measures. The study recommends water safety planning, to empower the rural communities to safeguard their water sources, and for sustainable water supply management.

Water Supply System Description and Risk Assessment in Brikama Water Treatment Plant System, West Coast Region, Gambia: WHO Water Safety Plan Based Approach

Background: Better water quality, improved sanitation and sound water resource management will improve public health and economic development in low-income countries. Water safety plan-based risk assessment and risk management from catchment to consumers are the modern and efficient approaches to safe drinking water supply established by World Health Organization. Thus, this paper aimed to assess risk from catchment level to consumers in the community of Brikama.&#x0D; Methods: This study report assessments of risk or hazards from catchment to consumers in Brikama Water Treatment Plant (BWTP), West Coast Region, The Gambia. The various means of data collection used include water quality monitoring, visual field inspection and questionnaire survey to explore data on where the water supply system goes wrong from catchment to consumers, so as to provide an improvement plan.&#x0D; Results: Overall, the day-to-day administration of services at BWTP was very impressive. The fencing of all the 17 boreholes at catchment sites has drastically reduced the risk of contamination including treatment systems and distribution lines. There are less risks observed and constant monitoring of the system was ensured. However, at the consumer end, there are some risks with poor practices associated with water handling, storage and hygiene measures at the household level. Some still use some unclean 20-liter containers to store water and indiscriminately kept drinking cups on the floor and unclean surfaces, and 50% lacked WASH knowledge related to water treatment, such as boiling and filtration at households. The overall perception of water storage, sanitation and hygiene practices could be rated moderately good.&#x0D; Conclusion: The overall findings of this study have shown tremendous achievement in the government's commitment to providing potable water to the people in Brikama Local Government Area. WASH education in the study area is recommended to avoid waterborne disease infections.

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

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.

Risk Assessment of Water Intakes in South-Eastern Poland in Relation to the WHO Requirements for Water Safety Plans

Since 2017, risk assessments for water intakes in Poland have provided the basis for decisions to establish indirect water protection zones. The preventive, risk-based approach and the related risk minimization measures are required under the provisions of the Drinking Water Directive (DWD) of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2020 on the quality of water intended for human consumption. This approach is in line with the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for water safety plans. The aim of this study was to present a methodology and to carry out a risk assessment of the threats to surface water intakes, which in Poland, should be completed by the end of 2022. Risk assessments were performed for four onshore-type surface water intakes located in south-eastern Poland. The results were presented in aggregate form, which enabled clear presentation and conclusions. It was found that the greatest risks are associated with seasonal changes in water quality (mainly high turbidity and water blooms), unregulated sewage management, the occurrence of floodwater flows and catastrophic events caused by the potential failure of wastewater treatment plants. Based on the results of the risk assessment, the need to establish new, or to adjust the existing, protection zones for the analyzed water intakes was identified.

Retraction: Water Supply 21 (2), 878–885: Assessment of effectiveness of water safety plans (WSP) on water quality in rural communities of Anambra State, south-eastern Nigeria, Azubuike S. Ekwere, Oyonga A. Oyonga and Maingaila M. Banda, doi: 10.2166/ws.2020.353

Retraction: <i>Water Supply</i> 21 (2), 878–885: Assessment of effectiveness of water safety plans (WSP) on water quality in rural communities of Anambra State, south-eastern Nigeria, Azubuike S. Ekwere, Oyonga A. Oyonga and Maingaila M. Banda, doi: 10.2166/ws.2020.353

Application of the Water–Energy–Food Nexus Approach to the Climate-Resilient Water Safety Plan of Leh Town, India

Climate-resilient water safety plans (CR-WSPs) have been developed as a risk-based approach to ensure a safe drinking-water supply while addressing the increasing stress on water resources resulting from climate change. Current examples of the application of CR-WSPs show a strong sectoral approach that fails to explore the potential synergies between other climate-sensitive sectors related to water, such as food and energy. This can increase the vulnerability or decrease the overall resilience of urban systems when planning climate change adaptation measures. In this work, the Water–Energy–Food (WEF) Nexus approach was applied in the formulation of a CR-WSP in Leh Town, India, a city with rapid development and population growth located in the Himalayas—one of the most sensitive ecosystems to climate change. The WEF Nexus approach was applied in the system description using a critical infrastructure approach and in the formulation of scenarios for risk management which exploited intersectoral synergies through water reclamation with resource recovery using constructed wetlands. The improvements in WEF security and risk reduction were demonstrated through indicators and risk mapping with geographical information systems (GISs). The methods for integrating the WEF Nexus approach in CR-WSPs provided through this work can serve as a base for a trans-sectoral, resilient approach within risk-based approaches for water security.

\u201cEvery cell counts\u201d\u2014experiences with flow cytometry for Austrian drinking water supply

The last decades have seen extensive scientific and technological improvements in many fields of microbiology and molecular biology. Correspondingly, flow cytometry—a rapid, precise and straightforward method for cultivation-independent detection of cells in liquids—has been a major topic in aquatic microbiology and drinking water analysis. Flow cytometry provides information at the single-cell level, including total cell counts, size measurements, nucleic acid content and bacterial viability and activity. While regulatory requirements for water testing rely on cultivation-based methods, flow cytometry can be considered a powerful tool to complement standard procedures.This article provides insights into the methodology and applicability of flow cytometry in the field of microbiological drinking water analysis and presents an overview on several case studies that cover a broad range of different objectives. The later are comprised of a study on flow cytometric characterization of Austrian drinking water resources, of an example for advanced data analysis methods of flow cytometric data, of a study on monitoring microbial regrowth within the distribution network, of an exemplary case of the application of online flow cytometry for high-frequency monitoring and of an introduction to the combination of flow cytometry and sequencing information.Finally, it is argued that due to the high microbiological variability of different water resources, unusual changes of flow cytometric parameters, rather than specific limits, could act as an indicator for further investigation. In this way flow cytometry can provide a good basis for risk assessments in water safety plans. The application of flow cytometry still remains utility-specific and a huge need for standardization of data analysis and interpretation exists in order to achieve a better cooperation of water utilities.