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Lam Chun Hsiang Drinking Water Unit (DWU) National Environment Agency, Singapore

Water Safety Conference 2010. Regulatory Perspective on Development of Piped Drinking Water Safety Plan in Singapore. Lam Chun Hsiang Drinking Water Unit (DWU) National Environment Agency, Singapore. Challenges and Learning Points. Background: Singapore. Population: ~ 5 million

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Lam Chun Hsiang Drinking Water Unit (DWU) National Environment Agency, Singapore

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  1. Water Safety Conference 2010 Regulatory Perspective on Development of Piped Drinking Water Safety Plan in Singapore Lam Chun Hsiang Drinking Water Unit (DWU) National Environment Agency, Singapore

  2. Challenges and Learning Points

  3. Background: Singapore Population: ~ 5 million Mean daily temp: ~ 26.8 °C Mean annual rainfall: ~ 2300 mm High humidity: ~ 84%

  4. Background: Regulatory authorities

  5. Background : Water Suppliers Off-shore islands Land Area = 707 km2

  6. Background : Water Suppliers

  7. Challenges and Learning points

  8. New Regulatory Framework Need to establish a common set of standards for piped drinking water suppliers Objectives b)Inculcate preventive risk management practices amongst piped drinking water suppliers

  9. New Regulatory framework Technical Committee on National Drinking Water Quality Standards • Formed to advise NEA on drinking water quality standards and related issues. • Consists of 11 local and 2 overseas experts • NEA, PUB, MOH, AVA • Educational Institutions - NUS, NTU • Prof. Michael Rouse from UK • Dr. Joseph Cotruvo from USA • Expertise of committee lends credence to standards for both the industry as well as the public

  10. New Regulatory Framework Environmental Public Health (Quality of Piped Drinking Water) Regulations 2008 Available for download from NEA’s website: www.nea.gov.sg

  11. New Regulatory Framework Legislative requirements a) Compliance with the water quality standards b) Preparation of water safety and sampling plans & periodic review • c) Approval of these plans by NEA d) Monitoring of water quality and submission of test results to NEA e) Calibration and maintenance of test equipment f) 24-hour notification g) Documentation and record keeping

  12. Challenges and Learning Points

  13. Water Safety Plans Preparation of water safety plans • a) Code of Practice on Piped Drinking Water Safety and Sampling plans • Available for download from NEA’s website at: www.nea.gov.sg • b) Templates for preparation of water safety plans

  14. Water Safety Plans Based on WHO Guidelines: Formation of Water Safety Team Documentation of the system Hazard assessment and risk characterization Sanitary inspection of the raw water/supply Control measures and operational monitoring Management procedures Key components of water safety plans

  15. Water Safety Plans • Provides a basis for preparation of water sampling plans

  16. Water Safety Plans Framework for monitoring and assessment

  17. Challenges and Learning points

  18. Challenges and Learning Points Main challenge: To ensure that all relevant hazards are identified, and their risk characterization is carried out in a meaningful way to establish the high-risk scenarios.

  19. Challenges and Learning Points Challenges: Certain members in the water safety team may choose to have a greater flexibility in highlighting the hazard, resulting in conflict of view between members on the extent of risk. May make generic statements such as “All applicable parameters should be controlled to prevent the hazard”, without specifying the type of the parameters and their degree of control

  20. Challenges and Learning Points Challenges: May choose not to highlight certain hazards, thinking that the regulatory agency may raise questions on the control of those hazards. May document inadequate or even erroneous description of the hazards, especially those who are not academically inclined .

  21. Challenges and Learning Points • How various challenges were addressed: • DWU built up the necessary expertise • Reviewed the draft plans prepared by the suppliers • Discussed the details with the WSP team members • Conducted site audits • Revised the plans where required, before seeking the management approval

  22. Challenges and Learning Points • Lessons learnt: • If the requirement for preparation of water safety is not prescribed under the regulations- • Suppliers may not invest their efforts and time in preparing such plans; and • even if they do, the plans may not be adequate in substance.

  23. Challenges and Learning Points Lessons learnt: Even though water suppliers’ staff may be familiar with ISO 9001 system, they may not be able to adequately address various hazards in the WSP due to the difference in methodology used to identify and characterize the hazards.

  24. Conclusion

  25. “ With the new regulatory regime in place, Singapore’s growing population will continue to enjoy safe piped drinking water “

  26. Co-authors Dr. Pranav S. Joshi Mr. RamnathVaidyanathan Mr. S. Satish Appoo

  27. For more details • www.nea.gov.sg • Topics – Drinking Water Unit • E-mail • Lam_chun_hsiang@nea.gov.sg

  28. Thank you

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