title: A commentary on recent water safety initiatives in the context of water utility risk management.
abstract: Over the last decade, suppliers of drinking water have recognised the limitations of relying solely on end-product monitoring to ensure safe water quality and have sought to reinforce their approach by adopting preventative strategies where risks are proactively identified, assessed and managed. This is leading to the development of water safety plans; structured 'route maps' for managing risks to water supply, from catchment to consumer taps. This paper reviews the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) procedure on which many water safety plans are based and considers its appropriateness in the context of drinking water risk management. We examine water safety plans in a broad context, looking at a variety of monitoring, optimisation and risk management initiatives that can be taken to improve drinking water safety. These are cross-compared using a simple framework that facilitates an integrated approach to water safety. Finally, we look at how risk management practices are being integrated across water companies and how this is likely to affect the future development of water safety plans.
authors.affiliation: Sustainable Systems Department, School of Applied Sciences, Cranfield University, Cranfield, Bedfordshire, MK43 0AL, UK. paul.hamilton1@tiscali.co.uk
authors.forename: Paul D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gale
authors.forename: Simon J T
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Pollard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D014943:Global Health; D015386:Hazardous Substances / Q000032:analysis*; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D011786:Quality Control; D012308:Risk Management / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control; D014881:Water Supply / Q000592:standards*
chemical_list: D015386:Hazardous Substances