ArabicChineseEnglishFrenchRussianSpanish
WHO home
All WHO This site only
 

Water Sanitation and Health (WSH)

  About us | Databases | Guidelines | Training | Tools | Networks | Policy
  WHO > Programmes and projects > Water Sanitation and Health (WSH) > Drinking Water Quality
printable version

Safe piped water: Managing microbial water quality in piped distribution systems

Edited by Richard Ainsworth

Microorganisms occur in piped distributions from source water, through contamination during distributions and because of growth. Different organisms may cause a range of adverse health effects. Effective management varies with the organisms and their origin.

Safe Piped Water addresses the factors affecting the presence and growth of micro-organisms in piped networks as well as the practices of water supply organisations that can directly or indirectly influence them. The book shows that there are often public health reasons for adopting a more proactive approach to many of the traditional practices used in designing, operating and maintaining distribution networks, and to modifying the composition of the water that is fed into those networks.

The information and conclusions contained in Safe Piped Water are intended for policy makers and those responsible for formulating ‘Water Safety Plans’ for the supply of drinking-water. The book is also highly relevant to engineers and scientists who are responsible for water supply planning, operations and monitoring.

Download the full document:

- Safe piped water: Managing microbial water quality in piped distribution systems [pdf 1.17Mb]

Download individual chapters

- Contents, foreword, acknowlegements, acronyms and abbreviations [pdf 132kb]
- The microbiology of piped distribution systems and public health [pdf 119kb]
- Minimizing potential for changes in microbial quality of treated water [pdf 256kb]
- Design and operation of distribution networks [pdf 157kb]
- Maintenance and survey of distribution systems [pdf 119kb]
- Precautions during construction and repairs [pdf 88kb]
- Small animals in drinking-water distribution systems [pdf 291kb]
- Risk management for distribution systems [pdf 182kb]
- Index [pdf 56kb]

Other information that may be of interest:

Emerging issues in water and infectious disease
Water treatment and pathogen control
Heterotrophic plate counts and drinking-water safety
Assessing microbial safety of drinking-water
Water safety plans

Publishing and ordering information

© World Health Organization (WHO) 2004
Published on behalf of the World Health Organization by IWA Publishing
ISBN 92 4 156251 X (WHO), ISBN 1 84339 039 6 (IWA Publishing)

This document is in English only.
Order No. 11500557
To order a copy, please contact: bookorders@who.int
or order online.