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Drinking-water quality management: the Australian framework.
Martha Sinclair1, Samantha Rizak
1Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Alfred Hospital, Monash University-Central and Eastern Clinical School, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. martha.sinclair@med.monash.edu.au
Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health. Part A
|September 17, 2004
Summary
A preventive management approach is key for safe drinking water, moving beyond reactive compliance monitoring. This framework enhances water quality assurance from catchment to consumer.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Public Health
- Water Management
Background:
- Current drinking water quality management relies heavily on compliance monitoring of treated water.
- This reactive approach often leads to corrective actions only after water quality standards are breached, potentially exposing consumers to non-compliant water.
- There's a misconception that intensifying compliance monitoring or lowering limits is sufficient for public health protection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a comprehensive, preventive quality management approach for drinking water.
- To emphasize the critical role of system management in ensuring drinking water safety.
- To provide water suppliers with a framework for optimizing drinking water quality and public health protection.
Main Methods:
- Development of a comprehensive quality management framework for drinking water.
- Integration of quality and risk management principles into the framework.
- Collaboration between the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council and the Co-operative Research Centre for Water Quality and Treatment.
Main Results:
- The developed framework offers a proactive and flexible system for managing drinking water quality.
- It assists water suppliers in achieving a higher level of assurance for drinking water quality and safety.
- The framework redefines the role of compliance monitoring as a verification tool for preventive measures.
Conclusions:
- A preventive, system-wide management approach is superior to reactive compliance monitoring for ensuring drinking water quality.
- The Framework for Management of Drinking Water Quality provides a robust tool for water suppliers.
- Proactive management optimizes drinking water quality and effectively protects public health.