scholarly journals Drinking water and health research: a look to the future in the United States and globally

2006 ◽  
Vol 4 (S1) ◽  
pp. 17-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark D. Sobsey
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
The United States ◽  
World Health ◽  
Safe Drinking Water ◽  
Water Safety ◽  
Household Water Treatment ◽  
Water Research ◽  
Safe Water ◽  
Drinking Water Safety ◽  
Key Issues

Drinking water supplies continue to be a major source of human disease and death globally because many of them remain unsafe and vulnerable. Greater efforts are needed to address the key issues and questions which influence the provision of safe drinking water. Efforts are needed to re-evaluate and set new and better priorities for drinking water research and practice. More stakeholders need to be included in the processes of identifying key issues and setting priorities for safe drinking water. The overall approach to drinking water research and the provision of safe drinking water needs to become more rational and scientific, and become more visionary and anticipatory of the ever-present and emerging risks to drinking water safety. Collectively, we need to do a better job of making safe water available, accessible and affordable for all. One such approach to safe water for all is household water treatment and safe storage, which is being promoted globally by the World Health Organization and many other stakeholders and partners to reduce the global burden of waterborne disease.

Off-flavor as the consumer's measure of drinking water safety

1995 ◽  
Vol 31 (11) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. McGuire
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Utilities ◽  
Regulatory Environment ◽  
Safe Drinking Water ◽  
Water Safety ◽  
Safe Water ◽  
Drinking Water Safety ◽  
Off Flavors ◽  
Health Related

If consumers detect an off-flavor in their drinking water, they are likely to believe that it probably is not safe. Water utilities will be defeating their best efforts to provide safe drinking water if they only meet health-related regulations and do not provide water that is free of off-flavor problems. The purpose of this paper is to explore the current U.S. regulatory environment and discuss how these regulations can adversely impact the control of off-flavors in drinking water. Utilities should adopt a water quality goal that allows them to not only meet the minimums of the regulations, but also meet the customer's highest standards - water that is free of off-flavors.

scholarly journals Implementation and evaluation of the water safety plan approach for buildings

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 870-883 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabelle Schmidt ◽  
Bettina Rickert ◽  
Oliver Schmoll ◽  
Thomas Rapp
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Drinking Water Quality ◽  
World Health ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Water Safety ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Drinking Water Safety ◽  
Premise Plumbing

Abstract The World Health Organization (WHO) promotes water safety plans (WSPs) – a risk-based management approach – for premise plumbing systems in buildings to prevent deterioration of drinking-water quality. Experience with the implementation of WSPs in buildings were gathered within a pilot project in Germany. The project included an evaluation of the feasibility and advantages of WSPs by all stakeholders who share responsibility in drinking-water safety. While the feasibility of the concept was demonstrated for all buildings, benefits reported by building operators varied. The more technical standards were complied with before implementing WSP, the less pronounced were the resulting improvements. In most cases, WSPs yielded an increased system knowledge and awareness for drinking-water quality issues. WSPs also led to improved operation of the premise plumbing system and provided benefits for surveillance authorities. A survey among the European Network of Drinking-Water Regulators on the existing legal framework regarding drinking-water safety in buildings exhibited that countries are aware of the need to manage risks in buildings' installations, but experience with WSP is rare. Based on the successful implementation and the positive effects of WSPs on drinking-water quality, we recommend the establishment of legal frameworks that require WSPs for priority buildings whilst accounting for differing conditions in buildings and countries.

Drinking-water management in Canadian provinces and territories: a review and comparison of management approaches for ensuring safe drinking water

Water Policy ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 565-596 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ty Bereskie ◽  
Ianis Delpla ◽  
Manuel J. Rodriguez ◽  
Rehan Sadiq
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Quality Management ◽  
Water Governance ◽  
Governance Structure ◽  
World Health ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Safe Drinking Water ◽  
Water Safety ◽  
The World

Abstract Drinking-water management systems (DWMSs) represent the primary means for preventative management of a drinking-water supply and are defined as a system of policies, procedures and administrative/behavioral controls designed to ensure safe drinking water from source to tap. With influence and inspiration ranging from safe food handling to industrial quality management, DWMSs can take, and have taken, many different forms throughout the world. This variability is especially true in Canada, a country with a decentralized governance structure, where provincial and territorial governments are mostly autonomous in regard to drinking-water governance and management. While this has resulted in comprehensive DWMSs in provinces such as Ontario, less-proactive provinces and territories have fallen behind and may be exposing consumers to under-protected and vulnerable drinking-water supplies. This paper includes a review and comparison of the existing Canadian national, provincial and territorial approaches to drinking-water management, the World Health Organization Water Safety Plan Recommendations, national DWMSs from Australia and New Zealand, and also includes widely applied, generic quality management systems. This information is then used to gauge the comprehensiveness of DWMSs in Canada and highlight potential management gaps and policy recommendations for the development of new, or improving existing, DWMSs.

scholarly journals Microbial indicators, pathogens and methods for their monitoring in water environment

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 319-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaurav Saxena ◽  
Ram Naresh Bharagava ◽  
Gaurav Kaithwas ◽  
Abhay Raj
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Environment ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
World Health ◽  
Waterborne Diseases ◽  
Safe Drinking Water ◽  
Water Safety ◽  
Indicator Microorganisms ◽  
Water Safety Plan ◽  
Health Organization

Water is critical for life, but many people do not have access to clean and safe drinking water and die because of waterborne diseases. The analysis of drinking water for the presence of indicator microorganisms is key to determining microbiological quality and public health safety. However, drinking water-related illness outbreaks are still occurring worldwide. Moreover, different indicator microorganisms are being used in different countries as a tool for the microbiological examination of drinking water. Therefore, it becomes very important to understand the potentials and limitations of indicator microorganisms before implementing the guidelines and regulations designed by various regulatory agencies. This review provides updated information on traditional and alternative indicator microorganisms with merits and demerits in view of their role in managing the waterborne health risks as well as conventional and molecular methods proposed for monitoring of indicator and pathogenic microorganisms in the water environment. Further, the World Health Organization (WHO) water safety plan is emphasized in order to develop the better approaches designed to meet the requirements of safe drinking water supply for all mankind, which is one of the major challenges of the 21st century.

scholarly journals A conceptual framework to evaluate the outcomes and impacts of water safety plans

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard J. Gelting ◽  
Kristin Delea ◽  
Elizabeth Medlin
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Monitoring And Evaluation ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
World Health ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Water Safety ◽  
Common Basis ◽  
Drinking Water Safety ◽  
Health Organization

A Water Safety Plan (WSP) is a preventive, risk management approach to ensure drinking water safety. The World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines place WSPs within a larger 'framework for safe drinking-water' that links WSPs to health, creating an implicit expectation that implementation of WSPs will safeguard health in areas with acceptable drinking water quality. However, many intervening factors can come between implementation of an individual WSP and ultimate health outcomes. Evaluating the impacts of a WSP, therefore, requires a much broader analysis than simply looking at health improvements. Until recently, little guidance for the monitoring and evaluation of WSPs existed. Drawing examples from existing WSPs in various regions, this paper outlines a conceptual framework for conducting an overall evaluation of the various outcomes and impacts of a WSP. This framework can provide a common basis for implementers to objectively monitor and evaluate the range of outcomes and impacts from WSPs, as well as a common understanding of the time frames within which those results may occur. As implementers understand the various outcomes and impacts of WSPs beyond health, a strong evidence base for the effectiveness of WSPs will develop, further enabling the scaling up of WSP implementation and provision of better quality water.

scholarly journals New Processing Technology for Water as an Ingredient

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Moore
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Bottled Water ◽  
World Health ◽  
Processing Plant ◽  
Water Production ◽  
Safe Drinking Water ◽  
Water Safety ◽  
The World ◽  
New Processing ◽  
Health Organization

There are several things in life that we take for granted. Water is very often one of them. Each of us uses this vital liquid, the most common substance on earth, everyday. And we rarely think twice about it. Governments and international legislative bodies worldwide are redefining what is “safe to drink.” The United States has led the way by passing into law an amended Safe Drinking Water Act. The European community is considering these standards and the World Health Organization (WHO) provides the impetus for issuing a minimum common standard for the European countries. American consumers are becoming more aware of water quality and consistency. The popularity and increased demand for bottled water continues to grow as people desire better quality and consistency, and are willing to pay for the product. This paper will address the issues of water safety and consistency for a citrus processing plant using water as an ingredient, in food contact, or is contemplating off-season bottled water production. Paper published with permission.

Study on the Problems and Countermeasures of Rural Drinking Water Safety Engineering Construction and Management in China

2013 ◽  
Vol 357-360 ◽  
pp. 2273-2276
Author(s):  
Xiao Ke He ◽  
Cheng Min Qin
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Legal Person ◽  
Safety Engineering ◽  
Safe Drinking Water ◽  
Water Safety ◽  
Engineering Construction ◽  
Water Project ◽  
Drinking Water Safety ◽  
Project Construction ◽  
Operation And Management

The construction of China's rural drinking water safety project to have achieved stage results was summarized, and has analyzed the problems of the direction of investment and money management to be not clear, the project legal person subject to be unknown, project bidding to be not real, construction quality to be not high, poor operation and management in China rural safe drinking water project construction and management. The countermeasures have been put forward to solve the problems.

Study of Rural Drinking Water Safety Engineering Management

2014 ◽  
Vol 484-485 ◽  
pp. 558-561
Author(s):  
Wei Li
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Engineering Management ◽  
Safety Engineering ◽  
Safe Drinking Water ◽  
Water Safety ◽  
Water Project ◽  
Drinking Water Safety

In recent years, all levels of government take solving the problem of safe drinking water in rural areas as a major initiative to ensure peoples livelihood. In the process of construction and management of rural safe drinking water project, government, enterprises and users are playing their own roles. The article proposes solutions to the problems that exist in the rural drinking water safety projects, by analyzing the roles of government, enterprises and users, in the management of rural safe drinking water project. It has certain referential significance to the construction and management of rural safe drinking water project.

scholarly journals The effectiveness of household water treatment and safe storage in improving drinking water quality: a disinfection by-product (DBP) perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 69 (8) ◽  
pp. 785-806 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rong Xiao ◽  
Youli Duan ◽  
Wenhai Chu
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Treatment ◽  
Distribution Systems ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Tap Water ◽  
Water Safety ◽  
Household Water Treatment ◽  
Safe Storage ◽  
Drinking Water Safety ◽  
Household Water

Abstract Serving as the last barrier to secure drinking water safety, household water treatment and safe storage (HWTS) is perceived as an interim measure for removing pathogens from drinking water and reducing disease risk. In recent years, the application of HWTS has shown a growing trend, and its performance in controlling chemicals has also received much attention. Disinfection by-products (DBPs) are formed by the reaction of chemical disinfectants and precursors, and are present at sub-μg·L−1 or low-to-mid-μg·L−1 levels in drinking water. Although precursor control and disinfection operation modification could contribute to DBP mitigation to some degree, DBP removal after their formation emerges as an important strategy due to the ubiquitous existence of DBPs in distribution systems and tap water. In order to figure out how DBP concentrations vary during the residence time of drinking water in households, this review summarizes the effectiveness and mechanism of HWTS and combination technologies for DBP control in municipal tap water, and makes a comparison with regard to technologies implementing different removal mechanisms as well as DBPs possessing different natures. Based on these results, this article provides an insight into DBP risk assessment and human health protection.

scholarly journals Water and Indigenous Peoples: Canada’s Paradox

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerry P. White ◽  
Laura Murphy ◽  
Nicholas Spence
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
The United States ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Safe Drinking Water ◽  
Water Safety ◽  
Federal Jurisdiction ◽  
The Government ◽  
Government Of Canada

The condition of water safety and quality on reserve has been a growing concern in Canada. Despite a substantial amount of funding allocated toward improving water infrastructure on reserve, an alarming proportion of communities face boil and drinking water advisories. To understand why this paradox and problem persists, this article will work through the issues and nuances that have created unsafe drinking water on reserve, proposed remedies, and policy implications. To do so, the role of the Government of Canada is reviewed first because reserve land is under federal jurisdiction. Following this, the article will discuss the standpoints of the Assembly of First Nations and other Indigenous groups on the water crisis, and will draw upon focus groups within First Nations that we conducted. To contextualize the water issue on reserve in Canada, a comparison with the United States is then drawn. One of the main themes of this paper with regard to the issue of safe drinking water on reserve is how the legacy of colonization has limited community capacity. This theme is then discussed in depth by comparing Indigenous to non-Indigenous communities, looking to the social determinants of water quality, and possibilities and limitations of building sustainable development allowing for safe drinking water on reserve. To understand what processes consistently intervene in the way of sustainability of safe water in Indigenous communities, regulatory frameworks are examined, funding mechanisms are reviewed, and Aboriginal governance is discussed along with the direction that policy should take.

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