Urban water supply and safety: Volume 4 of the WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality
Rolling revision of the WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality
The preparation of Volume 4 on urban water and safety is included in the plan of work of the rolling revision of the WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality.
Background
Urban populations that include poor peri-urban and slum populations are increasing worldwide. Such populations often carry a significant burden of water-related disease. They are also frequently exposed to multiple microbial and chemical hazards through multiple routes. The Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality Final Task Force meeting (Geneva, 2003) proposed that in order to better respond to issues related to water supply in rapidly urbanizing low- and middle-income countries, the present Volume 3 (Surveillance and control of community supplies) be complemented by a Volume 4 (Surveillance and control of water supply in urban areas), which would draw on a number of pilot projects that have been implemented and documents that have been developed. The meeting also recommended that the need for substantive guidance on sampling and monitoring be taken into account in the proposed Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality Volume 4 on surveillance of urban drinking-water supply.
Expected end-product(s)
Volume 4 of Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality on surveillance and control of water supply in urban areas, publication date unknown
Progress to date
The 1995 Coordinating Committee recommended that guidance on the theme of monitoring of drinking-water supply and quality in urban areas be developed, field tested and revised. The 1996 Protection and Control Working Group meeting agreed to pursue drafting in 1996–97, and the 1998 Working Group meeting reviewed plans, especially with regard to identification of pilot projects, and recommended that a small group of experts consolidate draft materials. The Berlin Coordinating Committee meeting (2000) recommended that the consolidated document be released as a free-standing publication. The Chemical Aspects Working Group meeting (Tokyo, 2002) was updated on the status of development of the project. Pilot projects had been implemented in Uganda, Ghana, Bangladesh and Latin America (the latter through WHO/PAHO/CEPIS). The plan of work (encouraging implementation of further pilot projects, with their evaluation leading into drafting of a Volume 4 and then refinement) was endorsed at the Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality Working Group meeting (Geneva, 2004).