Small-scale Water Supplies and Water Safety Plans (WSP): Activities of WHO

Transcription

1 Small-scale Water Supplies and Water Safety Plans (WSP): Activities of WHO Bettina Rickert Federal Environment Agency (UBA) WHO Collaborating Centre for Research on Drinking-Water Hygiene Bad Elster, Germany 09 November 2011, Belgium

2 WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality 4th edition published in 2011 Strict focus on public health protection Assessment of microbial, chemical and radiological hazards Based on expert consensus and best available evidence in science and practice Advisory but authoritative: Scientific point of reference for most national and supra-national drinking-water norms world-wide Adaptation to local priorities and to socio-economic, cultural and environmental context Workshop Best Practices Guidance Document Risk-assessment for small water supplies 2

3 Water Safety Plans (WSP) Health-based targets (National regulatory body) Water Safety Plan (Water utility) Independent surveillance (Surveillance agency) 'The most effective means of consistently ensuring the safety of a drinking-water supply is through the use of a comprehensive risk assessment and risk management approach that encompasses all steps in water supply from catchment to consumer. In these Guidelines, such approaches are called water safety plans'. Workshop Best Practices Guidance Document Risk-assessment for small water supplies 3

4 Supporting tools emerging Workshop Best Practices Guidance Document Risk-assessment for small water supplies 4

5 WSP Road Map Not specifically for small supplies only To support country-level implementation of WSP benefits of WSP establish WSP vision practical WSP experience establish national scale-up strategy mechanisms for ongoing support policy and regulatory instruments to support implementation implementation of WSP and verification of effectiveness review overall experiences + lessons learnt Workshop Best Practices Guidance Document Riskassessment for small water supplies 5

6 WHO International Small Community Water Supply Network International Network on Small Community Water Supply Management exists since around 2004 Hosted by WHO Formed to promote the achievement of substantive and sustainable improvements to the safety of small community water supplies, particularly in rural areas mmunity/en/index.html Workshop Best Practices Guidance Document Riskassessment for small water supplies 6

7 WHO International Small Community Water Supply Network The Network members collaborate on their shared objectives of: building an evidence base to support decision making and the development of guidance and tools advocating and collaborating with stakeholders to mainstream small community water supplies into policy environment developing and facilitating access to guidance and tools to assist stakeholders at all levels in improving the management of small community water supplies Workshop Best Practices Guidance Document Riskassessment for small water supplies 7

8 WSP guidance for Small Community Water Supplies Workshop Best Practices Guidance Document Riskassessment for small water supplies 8

9 Large and small scale contrasts? Simpler approach but exactly the same principles and process: steps combined, hazard identification, risk assessment and prioritisation of interventions Hazard Cause / Hazardous Event Source contamination through run-off Air valve at high point not enclosed in selfdraining box Reservoir area not well fenced Catle entering the catchment area Entry of contaminated water into the pipeline Children playing around the reservoir grounds Action / control measure / barrier Fencing the catchment area, diverting cattle Reconstruct box and drain surface water away Fence the tank area and inform parents Likelihood Consequence Priority for Action Likely Possible Likely Diarrhoea, turbid water Contamination with disease-carrying microorganisms Damage to airvents, allowing vermin to enter tank Workshop Best Practices Guidance Document Risk-assessment for small water supplies 9

10 Protocol on Water and Health Objective Promote protection of human health and well-being through improving water management and preventing, controlling and reducing water-related disease Joint secretariat of WHO and UNECE Workshop Best Practices Guidance Document Riskassessment for small water supplies 10

11 History of the Protocol Signed by 36 countries at the 3 rd Ministerial Conference on Environment & Health, London, 1999 Entered into force August 2005 Currently (2011) 25 ratifications (including EU countries Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain) Many countries participating voluntarily The population served by the Protocol exceeds the population of the EU Workshop Best Practices Guidance Document Riskassessment for small water supplies 11

12 Small-scale Water Supplies and Sanitation Awareness raising document What are small-scale water supplies? Why are small-scale water supplies important? What are the challenges? What is the evidence? What are the cost and benefits of interventions? How can Water Safety Plans support improvement? How can an enabling environment be created? Networking and resource materials Workshop Best Practices Guidance Document Riskassessment for small water supplies 12

13 Why are small scale supplies important? Pan-European region: approximately 30% of the total population in rural areas, in EU approximately 26% Examples of quality data Czech Republic: 1700 small public groundwater well supplies and 3300 private wells ( ): noncompliance rate health related parameters of ca. 70% England and Wales: 0.5% of the population rely on private supplies, however, 36% of all detected outbreaks in such supplies; microbial water quality results of private supplies: at least 1 positive sample in 32% of water supply sites vs. 0.1% of samples from main supplies Workshop Best Practices Guidance Document Risk-assessment for small water supplies 13

14 Small-scale Water Supplies and Sanitation Work Programme Water Supply Lead Parties and organizations: - Germany and Czech Republic, WECF Activity areas: - Development of policy and guidance document - Improvement of evidence base - Water and Sanitation Safety Plan (WSSP) approach - Facilitating sharing of experience and enhanced regional networking Complementary to ongoing WHO and EU activities and programs Workshop Best Practices Guidance Document Riskassessment for small water supplies 14

15 Policy guidance document Nature: Integrated perspective on drinking-water and sanitation Driven by best practice case studies serving as success stories Target audience: Decision makers at national, regional and local level (e.g. regulators) Policy arena (those who make strategic decisions) Draft outline: Explicit policy Water and Sanitation Safety Plans (WSSP): aim and vision Individual policy instruments and programs for small-scale water supplies (SSWS), including financial aspects, awareness raising, cooperation, qualification, Individual policy instruments and programs for small-scale sanitation Workshop Best Practices Guidance Document Risk-assessment for small water supplies 15

16 Summary and outlook WHO / European Commission both regard small scale water supplies as priority Complementary activities by both WHO and the European Commission Study on WSP from WHO for European Commission Drinking Water Directive currently not in line with WHO Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality Joint priorities in improving the situation with small scale water supplies Workshop Best Practices Guidance Document Risk-assessment for small water supplies 16

17 Thank you Source: Rod Shaw