Full Description

This paper discusses European efforts to introduce risk assessment / risk management principles in itsdrinking water regulations. The concept of a Water Safety Plan, as proposed by the World HealthOrganization, is already applicable, and some European water utilities have already started using thismethodology in drinking water production and distribution. Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessmentconstitutes a useful complement to a Water Safety Plan, but standardization of this methodology wasneeded in view of its widespread use. This need was addressed by the European project "Microrisk" that is working to define a harmonized methodology in order to assess issues with:the occurrence of different pathogens (E. coli O157:H7, Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, Giardia,enterovirus, norovirus) in raw waters, under normal conditions and during events leading to fast andimportant changes in pathogens loads;treatment efficiency;distribution network integrity;drinking water consumption; and,the risk of infection for the consumer.The methodology was tested at different production sites, reflecting the diversity of environmentalconditions, raw waters and treatment lines that can be found in Europe. Themain outcome of this project is a guideline document currently under preparation. The paper gives examples of issues addressed by the microrisk project. Includes 9 references, figures.

Product Details

Edition: Vol. - No. Published: 11/01/2005 Number of Pages: 6File Size: 1 file , 320 KB