poster - shaping a drinking-water quality regulatory model
TRANSCRIPT
INTRODUCTION
Shaping a drinking-water quality
regulatory model
L.F.C. Simas *, M.C.A. Matos **
* Head of the Water Quality Department at The Water and Waste Services Regulation Authority (ERSAR) ([email protected])
** Coordinator of the Water Quality Department at ERSAR ([email protected])
The poor drinking-water quality is still one of the major “killers” of children in the world, making this aspect crucial for the
development of a country. In fact, usually non-developed countries have poor tap water quality with the entire social, economic and
most of all health consequences.
These facts and the acknowledgment of United Nations that access to safe drinking water is a human right, turns the selection and
implementation of the right drinking-water quality regulatory model critical for countries’ future and development.
With this paper the authors want to share their experience on a “step by step” pathway to a clear, reliable and consensual drinking-
water regulatory model that is fully recognized by all the major stakeholders, namely the drinking-water utilities, the health
authorities, the regulator or the governmental agencies and the consumers.
The road map established in this paper intends to pursuit the goal of more than 99% of safe water, figure that it is internationally
recognized as excellent drinking-water quality.
This “step by step” pathway to a clear, reliable and consensual drinking-water regulatory
model is based in the ERSAR experience in Portugal regulating drinking-water quality
since 25th December 2003.
The first step is the definition of the institutional procedures to regulate drinking-water
quality (legal and technical documents, regulations, roles of the different stakeholders and
clear identification of the drinking-water quality regulatory model coordinating structure).
The second step is the characterization of the starting point or baseline, which in this case
means the calculation of the safe water in 2003, along with the description of the critical
problems to solve.
The third step is the delineation and implementation of the solutions for the problems
identified, namely the drinking-water quality regulatory model.
The final and fourth step is the networking, which should be divided into national and
international. The national networking is essential for clear and strong coordination
between the different stakeholders that are involved in the process of controlling drinking-
water quality. The international networking is important for sharing experiences, learning
and be aware of the international approaches to tackle the problems related to drinking-
water quality.
METHODS
After almost a decade, the main
conclusion is reflected in the
evolution of the safe water
indicator from 81% in 2003 to
98% in 2012 (Figure 4) and in
the increase of the consumers’
tap water confidence.
Another important conclusion is
that this strategy allowed the
resolution of structural problems
like operational monitoring
implementation or disinfection
and at the same time started the
implementation of more complex
tools like a risk assessment/risk
management approach.
Finally, this strategy allowed
Portugal to increase its
international relevance in the
drinking-water quality regulation.
DISCUSSION & CONCLUSIONS
inspiring change
References: Decree-Law n.º 243/2001 of 5 of September
Decree-Law n.º 306/2007 of 27 of August
Volume 4 of the 2013 Annual Report on Water and Waste Services in Portugal (www.ersar.pt)
RESULTS
To implement the first step it was created the proper legal framework that was revised after 3
years of implementation. That revision was indispensable to give response to a reality that was
changing and at the same time to create new tools for a reality that was better known.
That legal framework, which is still in place, defined the roles for all the stakeholders and gave
ERSAR the task of coordinating all the drinking-water regulatory model implementation and
enforcement. Nowadays, all the different actors know very well their role, aspect that turns the
drinking-water regulatory model in a smooth procedure.
www.iwahq.org
Figure 1 – A “step by step” procedure to improve drinking-water quality.
Institutional
Baseline
The baseline (second step) is characterized by 81%
of safe water in 2003 and the most critical
parameters identified were microbiological,
aluminium, iron and manganese. Those parameters
had percentages of non-compliance with national
standards between 3% and 9%. Today, we have
98% of safe water and despite the fact that the
critical parameters didn’t change a lot, their
percentage of non-compliances are below 3%. Figure 2 – Percentage of safe water in
Portugal between 1993 and 2012.
Regulatory model
The solutions prescribed for that situation were the definition
of a regulatory cycle (Figure 3), the implementation of a data
management system (the ERSAR Portal), the enforcement of
disinfection, the enforcement for sampling and analysis
accreditation according to ISO 17025, the production of
several technical documents, the increase of capacity building
and a fast and reliable procedure for the non-compliances
correction.
Figure 3 – Drinking-water
regulatory cycle in place in
Portugal.
Networking
The fourth step (networking) it is being tackled with the definition of cooperation mechanisms
with other national official entities (national networking). The Portuguese experience taught us
that there should be a narrow cooperation with the health authorities, the drinking water
suppliers and their associations, the municipalities and their associations, the accreditation
body and the laboratories and their associations. It was also important to establish
cooperation mechanisms with agriculture authorities (pesticides, for instance) or safety food
authorities.
Concerning the international networking, we consider the importance of being active in the
regional networks (Endware for Europe) and global networks like RegNet from World Health
Organization. The international networking was vital to get the necessary awareness for
subjects like risk assessment/risk management in drinking-water systems and the schemes
for approval procedures for products in contact with drinking water.
Figure 4 – Percentage of safe water in
Portugal municipalities’ in 2012.