ASSESSING SAFETY OF DRINKING WATER: “WATER SAFETY PLAN” PROJECT KICKED OFF WITH A MEETING BETWEEN ACQUE SPA AND SANT’ANNA SCHOOL INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT
In 1999, the Protocol on Water and Health was adopted and ratified in the EU. In 2011, the World Health Organization Guidelines for drinking-water quality recommend the water safety plan (WSP) approach as the most effective way of ensuring continuous provision of safe drinking-water. Acque SpA and the Institute of Management kicked off in these days their “Water Safety Plan” project which offers an efficient tool to provide safe drinking water. The Water Safety Plan operates through a catchment to consumer risk assessment and management approach based on risks assessment control and supported by confirmatory water quality testing.
The kick off meeting was attended by Giuseppe Sardu, president of Acque SpA; Paolo Saccani, CEO of Acque SpA; and Luca Lucentini, director of Reparto igiene acque interne - Istituto Superiore di Sanità.
“Effective management of good drinking water supply implies actions and procedures to be taken in normal and emergency situations - said Lucentini; the main objectives of the Water Safety Plan are the compliance with operational monitoring criteria and the minimization of contamination of source waters. The WSP and control measures should be correctly implemented to ensure water quality standards and eliminate or minimize hazards. This WSP develops a more effective strategy for an adequate level of catchments and reservoirs microbiological safety. We will be able to achieve the necessary level of microbial risk reduction, to implement the appropriate security measures to prevent transfer of hazards, to minimize of contamination of source waters, to reduce or prevent contamination during storage, distribution and handling of drinking-water”.
Acque SpA and Sant’Anna School Institute of Management implemented their Water Safety model to support a safe practice throughout Empoli, Montopoli in Val d’Arno and Villa Basilica water systems. Acque SpA’s highest priority is to significantly improve safety of drinking water through water supply surveillance, periodic testing and sanitary inspections. Comprehensive analysis of chemical quality of all sources and frequent sampling will be undertaken to assess microbial hazards in those areas. The purpose is to enhance the performance of the community drinking-water system through the adoption of sampling programs and quantitative service indicators. All potential stakeholders critical to the implementation of the WS planning approach were identified.
