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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 catchments to consumer (WHO, 2005). World
Health Organization guidelines on water quality term these
approaches as water safety plans (WSPs). The WSP approach has been
developed to organize and systematize a long history of management
practices applied to drinking-water and to ensure the
applicability of these practices to the management of
drinking-water quality. WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality
outlines a preventive management framework for safe
drinking-water. The WSP is guided by health-based targets and
overseen through drinking-water supply surveillance.
The
Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB)
which caters to the drinking water needs of about 6.5 million
people, is in the process of developing pilot WSPs in three sites,
in collaboration with the WHO, USEPA, NEERI, Department of Health
and IHS. Each site represents one of the three major modes of
water supply in
Hyderabad
city. In two of the sites-Adikmet and Moinbhag, the HMWSSB is
directly providing water to the consumer. Moinbhag in the old city
of
Hyderabad
receives intermittent water supply and has water supply and
sewerage systems that were mostly laid about 70 years ago. Adikmet
has comparatively newly laid systems with 24X7 water supply.
Serilingampalli is an adjoining
municipality
of
Hyderabad
and receives bulk water supply from HMWSSB which is then provided
to consumers by the Municipal Council.
The
IHS has been contributing to the WSP by organizing expert group
meetings and providing inputs for development of health based
targets. Dr. C.K.George, Director IHS serves on the Steering
Committee on Water Safety Plans and Saritha K, Head, WQTS, IHS
serves on Task Force for Monitoring implementation of Water Safety
Plans constituted by the HMWSSB.
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