SINGAPORE - Water scarcity is putting pressure on some communities and re-use of safe drinking-water could help relieve this pressure. A new WHO document, Potable Reuse: Guidance for Producing Safe Drinking-Water, describes how to produce safe drinking-water from municipal wastewater. The document was developed in coordination with the WHO Collaborating Centre for Safe Management of Drinking Water and Integrated Urban Water Management at the Water Quality Department of PUB, Singapore's National Water Agency.
In drafting the document, in 2016–2017, WHO water quality experts worked with the WHO Collaborating Centre and a Core Advisory Group. The Centre supported the coordination, consultation and inputs of more than 76 water experts, including utilities, reviewers, and peer reviewers. The centre also led drafting of Chapter 7 on Potable Reuse and the Art of Engagement and provided a case study on NEWater in the Appendix.
WHO and the centre launched the document in July 2017 at the Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) Spotlight event. SIWW provides a global platform for sharing and co-creating innovative water solutions for water utilities and companies.
In addition to supporting this publication, in 2016 the centre contributed to developing and facilitated the launches of two other WHO publications:
Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA): Application for water safety management – these guidelines recommend preventive, risk-based water quality management
Protecting surface water for health: Identifying, assessing and managing drinking-water quality risks in surface-water catchments – this book provides a risk-management approach and guidance on water safety planning.