Transcript IWA Montreal WWC paper

Water Safety
Conference 2010
Regulatory Perspective on
Development of
Piped Drinking Water Safety Plan
in Singapore
Background
• Singapore, Regulatory Authorities, Water Suppliers
New Regulatory Framework
• Objectives, Technical Committee, Regulations,
Legislative Requirements
Water Safety Plans
• Preparation of Plans, Framework for Monitoring and
Assessment
Challenges and Learning Points
Background: Singapore
Population: ~ 5 million
Mean daily temp: ~ 26.8 °C
Mean annual rainfall: ~ 2300 mm
High humidity: ~ 84%
Background: Regulatory authorities
Ministry
Ministry of the Environment and
Water Resources
Statutory
boards
PUB
National
Environment
Agency
Role
National water
authority
Environmental /
Public health
authority
Background : Water Suppliers
Off-shore islands
Land Area = 707 km2
Background : Water Suppliers
PUB: Major supplier in Singapore
Small suppliers: Usually supply
< 1000 m3 of water per day
(Employ traditional or desalination
technology)
Background
• Singapore, Regulatory Authorities, Water Suppliers
New Regulatory Framework
• Objectives, Technical Committee, Regulations,
Legislative Requirements
Water Safety Plans
• Preparation of Plans, Framework for Monitoring and
Assessment
Challenges and Learning points
New Regulatory Framework
Objectives
a) Need to establish a common set of standards for
piped drinking water suppliers
b)Inculcate preventive risk management practices
amongst piped drinking water suppliers
New Regulatory framework
Technical Committee on National Drinking Water
Quality Standards
•Formed to advise NEA on drinking water
quality standards and related issues.
•Consists of 11 local and 2 overseas experts
•NEA, PUB, MOH, AVA
•Educational Institutions - NUS, NTU
•Prof. Michael Rouse from UK
•Dr. Joseph Cotruvo from USA
•Expertise of committee lends credence to
standards for both the industry as well as the
public
New Regulatory Framework
Available for download from NEA’s website:
www.nea.gov.sg
New Regulatory Framework
Legislative requirements
a) Compliance with the water quality standards
b) Preparation of water safety and sampling plans &
periodic review
c) Approval of these plans by NEA
d) Monitoring of water quality and submission of
test results to NEA
e) Calibration and maintenance of test equipment
f) 24-hour notification
g) Documentation and record keeping
Background
• Singapore, Regulatory Authorities, Water Suppliers
New Regulatory Framework
• Objectives, Technical Committee, Regulations,
Legislative Requirements
Water Safety Plans
• Preparation of Plans, Framework for Monitoring and
Assessment
Challenges and Learning Points
Water Safety Plans
Preparation of water safety plans
a) Code of Practice on Piped
Drinking Water Safety and
Sampling plans
• Available for download from NEA’s
website at: www.nea.gov.sg
b) Templates for preparation
of water safety plans
Water Safety Plans
Key components of water safety plans
Based on WHO Guidelines:
a) Formation of Water Safety Team
b) Documentation of the system
c) Hazard assessment and risk characterization
d) Sanitary inspection of the raw water/supply
e) Control measures and operational monitoring
f) Management procedures
Water Safety Plans
• Provides a basis for preparation of water
sampling plans
Water Safety Plans
Framework for monitoring and assessment
Desktop Audit
Water safety and sampling plans
> 100,000 test results per year
Results are checked for compliance with regulatory
standards and water safety and sampling plans
Site Inspections
Check if water safety plans are being implemented
Identify risk /shortcomings and make suggestions
for improvement
Background
• Singapore, Regulatory Authorities, Water Suppliers
New Regulatory Framework
• Objectives, Technical Committee, Regulations,
Legislative Requirements
Water Safety Plans
• Preparation of Plans, Framework for Monitoring and
Assessment
Challenges and Learning points
Challenges and Learning Points
Main challenge:
To ensure that all relevant hazards are identified,
and their risk characterization is carried out in a
meaningful way to establish the high-risk scenarios.
Challenges and Learning Points
Challenges:
a) Certain members in the water safety team may
choose to have a greater flexibility in highlighting
the hazard, resulting in conflict of view between
members on the extent of risk.
b) May make generic statements such as “All
applicable parameters should be controlled to
prevent the hazard”, without specifying the type
of the parameters and their degree of control
Challenges and Learning Points
Challenges:
c) May choose not to highlight certain hazards,
thinking that the regulatory agency may raise
questions on the control of those hazards.
d) May document inadequate or even erroneous
description of the hazards, especially those who
are not academically inclined .
Challenges and Learning Points
How various challenges were addressed:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
DWU built up the necessary expertise
Reviewed the draft plans prepared by the suppliers
Discussed the details with the WSP team members
Conducted site audits
Revised the plans where required, before seeking
the management approval
Challenges and Learning Points
Lessons learnt:
If the requirement for preparation of water safety is
not prescribed under the regulations• Suppliers may not invest their efforts and time
in preparing such plans; and
• even if they do, the plans may not be adequate
in substance.
Challenges and Learning Points
Lessons learnt:
Even though water suppliers’ staff may be familiar
with ISO 9001 system, they may not be able to
adequately address various hazards in the WSP due
to the difference in methodology used to identify
and characterize the hazards.
Conclusion
Legislation and Code
of Practice
Administrative
controls
Singapore’s
Approach
Communication
with suppliers
Risk-based
management system
Co-authors
Dr. Pranav S. Joshi
Mr.
Mr. S. Satish Appoo
For more details
www.nea.gov.sg
Topics – Drinking Water Unit
E-mail
[email protected]
Thank you