DRINKING WATER DISTRIBUTION OPERATOR STRATEGY & PLANNING - GOVERNANCE, LEGISLATION AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS
Element of Competence:
Development of Water Safety Plans
Context
Water Safety Plans (WSPs) consider the potential risks to the water supply and identify ways to manage those risks. This essential tool promotes a multi-barrier approach to managing risks and articulates how the supply addresses the principles of drinking water safety in New Zealand. Given their knowledge of the water distribution network operation and maintenance requirements, Drinking Water Distribution Operators must have input into the development of the Water Safety Plan. They are also responsible for the implementation of the distribution elements of the Water Safety Plan.
Outcome
The publics’ health is safeguarded through the development and implementation of the Water Safety Plan.
To do this, Drinking Water Distribution Operators need to be able to: ▪ Assist with identifying the Critical Control Points (CCPs) within the distribution network for the supply. ▪ Assist with identifying and documenting the corrective actions which are required for the CCPs when defined action and critical limits are reached. ▪ Use their operational knowledge of the distribution network to help identify improvement items to include within the Water Safety Plan. ▪ Assist with reviewing customer complaints to help identify whether operational changes within the distribution network can be made to improve consumer satisfaction. ▪ Be involved in long-term engagement plans on the awareness and involvement in safe and secure drinking-water. To do this, Drinking Water Distribution Operators need to know:: ▪ What their role is in the development of the Water Safety Plan (WSP). ▪ The requirements of the New Zealand Drinking-water Safety Plan Framework. ▪ The Principles of Safe Drinking Water in New Zealand. ▪ The characteristics of the drinking-water supply system, what hazards might arise, how these hazards arise and create risks, and the processes and practices that affect drinkingwater quality. ▪ The available water quality information and be able to analyse and interpret this information which identifies actual and potential water quality issues. ▪ What the barriers to contamination are for the supply, so that the failure of a barrier linked to the distribution network will be compensated for by the effective operation of the remaining barriers. Possible barriers related to the distribution network might include maintaining residual disinfectant levels within the distribution system. ▪ What Critical Control Points are.
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