Innovative Solution

Drinking water, health, quality of water, risk assessment, guideline, standards, NOAEL, LOAEL, Tolerable Daily Intake, uncertainty factors, daily consumption, part attributable to water ingestion

legal

The study analyzes and compares the existing standards concerning the physico-chemical and microbiological parameters of drinking water (excluding bottle water) and their elaboration processes. It aims to show whether there is consistency between the different normative frameworks in the process of elaboration and revision of values. It allows highlighting the similarities and inconsistencies between these values ​​and their elaboration methods.

Research is based on WHO recommendations and the regulatory values in force in United States, Australia and European Union, including France, Germany, Spain, Austria and the Netherlands. The values ​​presented are those who came into force on July 19, 2011.

This action was initiated and is currently lead by the French Water Academy. Since its beginning, various partners from academic, society, public and private sectors have been invited to take part in the discussion sessions and brought their expertise and knowledge to the project. Among our main partners are the World Health Organization WHO and the University of Paris Sud, Faculty of Pharmacy.

A first draft of the report was prepared. It draws up an overview of the process of elaboration and adoption of quality standards for drinking water. It includes:

– A description of the institutions involved in the elaboration of standards for drinking water quality (Ministry of Health, …). For the European Union it also includes the transposition of directives into domestic laws.

- A description of various scientific committees supporting the competent public authorities

- Several tables highlighting the calculation methods and data used in defining the limit values for ten chemical parameters: description of the contaminant, its critical effects, its origin and translation into risk [risk assessment = description of the data used to set up the value (epidemiological, experimental ..), the acceptable daily intake or reference factor, the NOAEL or LOAEL, the uncertainty factors, the part attributable to exposition to water ingestion, the daily consumption used, the establishing of the guideline or value ...]. 

This draft is under revision by our partners.

The study aims to show whether there is consistency between the different regulatory frameworks in the process of elaboration and revision of values. It will allow to highlight the similarities and inconsistencies between these values ​​and their methods of elaboration. The study allows identifying the scientific knowledge on which the organizations are based to establish the values; whether the established values ​​are applicable to a classic scenario or are based on default values. The objective is to determine whether all these values ​​are established on health or sensory considerations,or to protect the integrity of the transmission and storage facilities. Inaddition to WHO recommendations, some states take into account additional data or principles in developing their lists of limit values, the study aims at determining which are these additional data and principles.

The innovative aspects of this action concern its approach:  is there consistency between the processes of elaboration of quality values for drinking water?

Decision to allow drinking water from a given source or not, is made through assessment of these values, therefore the consequences are of great importance.

The main deliverables of this action are the report synthesizing its main findings and a poster.

The final report (50 pages). will be completed  by the end of January 2012. Communication will be made on its findings, and then follow-up of its input on guidelines’ preparation and implementation. 

The analysis made in this report should be extended to all nations that implement regulatory values for drinking water. It should also be available to the general public and all stakeholders. Its analysis should allow the elaboration of a database to be updated every time countries modify their standards.

The study will also permit to identify the gaps in the process of standard elaboration, to make this process known, and to define and implement strategies and policies to fill the gaps and uncertainties. Its results will be submitted to the scientific committees in charge of the elaboration of quality values for drinking water.

This analysis will identify the similarities and inconsistencies in standards’ elaboration. Conclusions will be drawn based on these data. They should not be implemented without involvement of WHO, scientific committees and national and international experts specialized in risk assessment.

Miss Claire Atmani
Legal manager project
51, rue Salvador Allende
92027 Nanterre Cedex
01 41 20 16 28
atmani.claire @ aesn.fr