A rapid assessment of the implementation of water quality surveillance in Indonesia was conducted between November to December 2019. The assessment, which was funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, involved three selected areas in the western part of Java Island: Bogor, South Jakarta, and Thousand Islands. The activity served as a model for surveillance authority and personnel in evaluating surveillance programmes to assure the safety of drinking water supplied to people within their areas of jurisdiction.
Caption: Ministry of Health, WHO Indonesia, and the consultant monitor water quality test at the Reverse Osmosis Plant – Thousand Islands District of DKI Jakarta. Credit: WHO/2020
WHO Indonesia, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MoH), the Directorate of Environmental Health, and Aquaya Institute and Local Health Offices, evaluated institutional strengths and identified areas requiring improvement while overseeing five critical components of surveillance activities including:
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Accountability (e.g. regulatory authorities, enforcement, vision)
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Staffing (e.g. leadership, roles and responsibilities, training, recruitment)
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Finances (e.g. resources, budgeting, accounting)
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Equipment & Services (e.g. suppliers, maintenance, procurement)
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Programme Structure (e.g. methods, logistics, data management)
A specific tool called “Water Capacity Rating Diagnostic (WaterCaRD)” was applied to examine water quality testing practices, monitor record reviews, perform sanitary inspections, and review data management and use. This was the first time the WaterCaRD tool had been applied and the assessment served as a pilot activity before further adoption by the provincial and district health offices.
The assessment identified a number of challenges to water quality surveillance and operational monitoring relevant to surveillance, which indicated a need to update the drinking water parameters, regulation on the surveillance implementation, sanitary inspection methods for the rural and urban water suppliers, and the use of data for decision-making.
To address these gaps, the participants provided a number of recommendations including:
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To use disease trends (e.g. diarrhea) as an indicator for progress on safe water and identify higher risk areas
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To closely monitor the corrective action being taken when contaminants and/or conditions that may endanger public health are detected
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To improve reporting to make water quality data more available and allow further analytical work of drinking water quality
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To strengthen capacity of the surveillance officers in hard to reach locations through an online training program
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Caption: WHO staff monitors Residual Chlorine in the water. Credit: WHO/2020
The key findings of the assessment were disseminated to MoH and other relevant stakeholders at the conclusion of the activity.
WHO will continue our support of MoH to strengthen drinking water quality surveillance by reviewing and updating the sanitary inspections and drinking water quality surveillance technical guideline in 2020.
Main image: Drinking water quality assessment and surveillance is discussed at Perusahaan Daerah Air Minum (PDAM) regional water utility company in Bogor. Credit: WHO/2020