Vended water
Rolling revision of the WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality
Vended water is included in the plan of work of the rolling revision of the WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality.
Background
The topic of vended water supplies is only briefly covered in Volume 1, chapter 1 (section 1.2.7), of the Third Edition of the Guidelines for Drinking-water. The Guidelines for Drinking-water Final Task Force meeting (Geneva, 2003) recommended the preparation of a text on the application of standards and guidelines to vended water (i.e. private vendors of not necessarily potable water, a widespread practice in cities in developing countries worldwide) for eventual inclusion in chapter 6 of the Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality Volume 1. This should include a discussion of de facto vending of non-potable water. The Final Task Force meeting also recommended that the P&C Working Group look at effective approaches to support and control water vending and ensuring that this contributes to public health protection, for inclusion in the Fourth Edition. The WHO Regions (e.g. WPRO) have expressed considerable interest in this area.
Expected end-product(s)
- Modification of text in chapter 1, for publication in the second addendum to the Third Edition;
- Additional text on vended water supplies to be included in chapter 6, for publication in the second addendum to the Third Edition;
- Stand-alone document on vended water, publication date unknown
Progress to date
The uidelines for Drinking-water Quality Working Group meeting (Geneva, 2004) agreed that more substantive text on vended water is needed and adopted a plan of work. The uidelines for Drinking-water Quality Working Group meeting (Geneva, 2005) was advised that work on the stand-alone document had not yet been initiated, but a draft of text for chapter 6 was almost completed. The uidelines for Drinking-water Quality Working Group meeting (Geneva, 2006) provided substantive comments on the draft of text for chapter 6, and the revised text will be circulated for review.
The draft text is now available for review. Comments are welcome following the format on the comment sheet, below.
Comments on the draft background documents above should be sent before 15 May 2007 to gdwqvended@who.int.