Rationale:

Whilst globally we are on track to meet the drinking water component of MDG Target 7 to reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation, some regions, such as Sub-Saharan Africa are not. However, even in supplies described as safe, serious outbreaks of waterborne disease still occur from time to time.  Furthermore, whilst the monitoring of this goal reports on access to improved sources, we do not have a clear understanding of drinking water quality by region or globally. Therefore the promotion of effective interventions to improve and maintain drinking water quality is an important effort in safeguarding public health through the provision of safe drinking water.

Various interventions, from the household level to city-wide, have been proven to improve drinking water quality. One such intervention, Water Safety Plans (WSPs), has been successfully implemented across the spectrum of urban, peri-urban and rural settings and are delivering improvements in drinking water quality and public health. WSPs consider risk across the catchment to consumer supply chain and put in place measures to mitigate and manage them.

The framework for safe drinking water, as described in the WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality, places great emphasis on the implementation of WSPs within a public health context with established health-based targets and independent surveillance. The institutional framework that supports this implementation requires appropriate institutions – such as national, regional or state government – to adopt and promote WSPs as part of policy or legislation and ensure that an independent institution is empowered to oversee their appropriate implementation. The role of drinking water service providers is pivotal, in that they should lead the development, implementation and ongoing revision of WSPs, ensuring that operational decisions are based upon preventative, risk-based approaches.

Whilst recognizing that good sanitation is an essential control measure within WSPs, the concept of Sanitation Safety Plans (SSPs) is being introduced which attempts to use the basic WSP approach for application of the WHO Guidelines for the Safe Use of Wastewater, Excreta and Greywater in Agriculture and Aquaculture in practice. Given growing demands on scarce water resources, such an approach will enable the safe re-use of wastewater to meet the projected increase in food production.

Furthermore, there is potential for expanding the scope of SSPs from wastewater reuse to a broader preventative, risk-based approach to managing the entire sanitation chain – from waste generation to disposal / produce consumption. Given that 2.6 billion people are estimated to lack access to improved sanitation facilities, the potential application of SSPs for this purpose should be explored with urgency.

Organizing sanitation is a diverse and complex task that requires the involvement of multiple stakeholders. Institutions with decision making powers for sanitation, such as local government, are being required to take a lead in implementing SSPs, with appropriate support from national government and other key stakeholders.

The sanitation chain has multiple points and types of exposure which should be considered when adopting SSPs in different settings. Evidently, exposure to certain hazards will be less significant with a higher level of technology and treatment, and consequently lower quantities of microorganisms or chemical constituents, but it is nonetheless necessary to assess the points of exposure in any system carefully when developing SSPs. Ultimately, the introduction of SSPs in any given setting should aim to provide access to, and promote, safe sanitation, manage the safe disposal of waste and protect communities from associated risks.

The 9th World Water Forum will be staged in 2021, at which stage we aim to see the effective implementation of WSPs and SSPs in 90 low and middle income countries. Meeting this target will go someway to supporting the achievement of universal access to water and sanitation services.  

Description:

The target is based on the ongoing collaborative efforts by the International Water Association (IWA) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), and their partners, to (i) scale-up the implementation of WSPs to ensure the improved and consistent quality of drinking water, and (ii) to better understand the applicability of preventative, risk-based approaches in managing risks associated with the sanitation chain, through the development and implementation of SSPs.

The session related to target 1.3.3 will reflect on global experiences and impacts of WSP implementation, covering policy, regulatory and operational aspects and consider public health outcomes. Drawing from these experiences together with preliminary piloting of SSPs will provide a point of departure for the refinement and widespread implementation of preventative, risk-based approaches to managing the sanitation chain.