8 Water Quality and Hygiene
Checklist for water quality and hygiene
1. Are water quality standards in place? Do they address the needs of vulnerable groups? Did representatives of such groups participate in the development of the standards? 2. Do water quality standards apply to all types of water sources used for domestic purposes, and are there short to medium-term targets for the elimination of the most harmful pollutants? 3. Are there laws or regulations and mechanisms to control pollution of water resources? Do they include provisions for monitoring? Do they include appropriate incentives for pollution control and dis-incentives against pollution? 4. Are there regulations in place requiring services providers to ensure adequate water quality? Are utilities obliged to establish water safety management plans? Is there a programme in place to provide technical assistance to small-scale providers on water quality and on hygiene awareness? 5. What proportion of households who rely on small-scale facilities or non-improved water sources treats their water at household level? What percentage has received education on this issue? What percentage has access to suitable storage and treatment options? 6. Is there a mechanism in place to monitor water quality in networks and in other water points? 7. Are there programmes for hygiene awareness (including for safe storage of water) and sanitation promotion? What proportion of the population can be expected to be aware of good hygiene practices? Is sanitation and hygiene awareness contained in the educational curriculum? What percentage of primary schools teaches hygiene awareness? 8. Is water quality and environmental health information available to the public? Are utilities obliged to publish data and inform the public of health risks?
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part iii • policies for implementation