Find WSP Resources

This package contains tools and resources for developing water safety plans (they could be considered "WaSH Safety Plans") in rural communities where the water and sanitation is managed by the community themself.

Whilst it was developed for Nepal, these tools may be applicable for community managed systems around the globe.

This package has been developed for WaSH practitioners seeking to develop water (probably more correctly, WaSH) safety plans with rural communities who manage their own water and sanitation systems. Although the overall guide is in English, all of the resources to be used with the community are in Nepali.

Powerpoint presentation from the USEPA on the Importance of Laboratory Support in the Implementation of Water Safety Plans. The critical elements to laboratory support as well as he linkages between Water Safety Plan implementation and laboratory support are explained.

Powerpoint presentation for the US EPA with an introduction to the ISO ISO/IEC 17025:2005 international standard for calibration and testing labs - including its purpose and how to ensure the quality system are effective

The facilitator‟s guide for the Rural Water Safety Plan Workshop has been prepared based on the Water Safety Planning for Small Community Water Supplies adapted to the Bhutanese context. This manual will describe how rural communities can deliver and sustain safe drinking water by developing and implementing WSPs for their own communities.

One decade ago, the World Health Organization recommended that water suppliers developed and implemented Water Safety Plans (WSP) as the most
effective mean to assure the quality of the water supply and the protection of the health of consumers. This model, as transposed in this guideline, consists of the overall risk assessment and risk management from catchment to tap, to protect the water to be destined to human consumption and the system, as well
as to control any process potentially affecting water quality, with the aim of assuring on a continuous way the absence of physical, biological and chemical hazards in drinking water. Risk based approach will also facilitate the flexibility of hazards management of emerging contaminants which are not systematically monitored, and /or vulnerabilities of water supply systems to direct and indirect impacts due to climate change. The guidance is addressed to water suppliers and health authorities as well as to all the stakeholders interested in different way to the drinking water quality. Criteria, methods and procedures are here provided in clear and practical terms to develop and implement WSP in drinking water supplies in Italy, independently by their dimension and by the volumes of supplied water.

This resource provides a template for a WSP for a rural community in Cambodia which has been customized and tailored to the local context through a pilot programme.
Important note - This template should be adapted and trialed before being used in a different context.

This resource provides a template for a WSP for a rural community in Sri Lanka which has been customized and tailored to the local context through a pilot programme.
Important note - This template should be adapted and trialed before being used in a different context.

The article describes an Icelandic study to determine the impact of WSP implementation on regulatory compliance, microbiological water quality, and incidence of clinical cases of diarrhea.

The objective of this research was to understand the impact of WSPs on operators and water management culture in Alberta’s small communities.

В 2004 г. в опубликованном ВОЗ "Руководстве по обеспечению качества питьевой воды" поставщикам было рекомендовано разработать и осуществить планы обеспечения безопасности воды, чтобы можно было систематически оценивать риски и управлять ими. С того времени правительства и регулирующие органы, поставщики воды и практические работники все шире принимают на вооружение этот подход, однако ими была высказана просьба о дополнительных методических руководствах.

Данное руководство по разработке и реализации плана обеспечения безопасности воды является ответом на эту просьбу. В нем понятным языком описывается, как практически нужно разрабатывать и реализовывать такой план. В 11 учебных модулях даются пошаговые рекомендации, причем каждый модуль представляет собой один ключевой шаг в процессе разработки и реализации плана обеспечения безопасности воды.

En 2004, les Directives de l'OMS pour la qualité de l'eau de boisson recommandaient que les fournisseurs d'eau potable développent et mettent en œuvre des plans de gestion de la sécurité sanitaire de l'eau (PGSSE) afin d'évaluer et de gérer systématiquement les risques.
Ce manuel répond à cette recommandation en décrivant de façon claire et en termes pratiques, comment développer et mettre en œuvre des plan de gestion de la sécurité sanitaire de l'eau. Onze modules de formation fournissent des conseils par étape. Chaque module présente une étape clé dans le processus de développement et de mise en application des plans de gestion de la sécurité sanitaire de l'eau.

Dans le cadre des efforts continus en faveur de la sécurité sanitaire de l’eau de boisson et de la santé, de nombreux pays ont demandé des orientations concernant la façon d’introduire des plans de gestion de la sécurité sanitaire de l’eau (PGSSE) et d’élargir leur mise en oeuvre. Il n’existe ni modèle ni façon unique de procéder en la matière.
Néanmoins, en se fondant sur l’expérience, une succession d’étapes décrivant comment y parvenir a été définie. Cette « feuille de route » relative aux PGSSE est destinée aux gouvernements et aux autorités chargés de concevoir ou de réviser les réglementations, programmes, et politiques relatifs à l’eau de boisson. Elle peut également se révéler utile pour les distributeurs d’eau et les autres organisations intéressées par l’amélioration des pratiques existantes.

Provides a template WSP for urban water supply system in Bhutan based on the WSP manual. Contains text and tables as examples, which should be reviewed and revised to reflect system-specific conditions.

The training package consists of three components, a facilitator handbook, a participant workbook and accompanying PowerPoint presentations. It is structured around 13 learning modules based on the WHO/IWA WSP Manual: Step by step risk management for drinking-water supplies and the WHO/IWA WSP Quality Assurance Tool.

Tool developed to support the development and implementation of WSPs, systematically highlighting the areas where progress is being made and opportunities for improvement.

This publication describes the methods used in the surveillance of drinking-water quality in the light of the special problems of small-community supplies, particularly in developing countries, and outlines the strategies necessary to ensure that surveillance is effective. It is also concerned with the linkage between surveillance and remedial action and with the form that remedial action should take.

The Guidelines for drinking-water quality is an authoritative basis for the setting of national regulations and standards for water safety in support of public health. It provides guidance on ways of implementing its recommendations of contextual hazard identification and risk management, including catchment-to-consumer water safety plans. The Guidelines position WSPs as a core element of the Framework for Safe Drinking-water and outline the principles and key elements of a WSP for policy-makers.

This document provides a 'road map' to support country-level implementation of WSPs. It provides guidance for country planners on how to initiate and carry out WSP implementation.  The document outlines a series of steps which may guide how WSP implementation and scale-up of WSPs may be approached at a national level.

This field guide provides a step-by-step introduction to the WSP approach and a range of ready-to-use templates to assist those locally involved in rural water supply to develop and implement their own WSPs.
The field guide particularly addresses the rural community members responsible for the operation and management of their water supplies, as well as the staff of the local health and water supply offices responsible for safeguarding drinking-water quality and nongovernmental organizations that support drinking-water safety in rural communities.

This manual is designed to engage, empower and guide communities in the WSP development and implementation process. Guidance is provided on how to develop and implement a WSP through six achievable tasks. By following the WSP approach as described in this manual, small communities can improve the management of their drinking-water systems to achieve incremental and sustainable improvements in their drinking-water quality.

Water safety plans (WSPs) are the most effective means of consistently ensuring the safety of a drinking water supply. This WSP manual describes how to develop and implement a WSP in clear and practical terms. Stepwise advice is provided through 11 learning modules, each representing a key step in the WSP development and implementation process.

This paper presents a case study from Bangladesh describing how WSPs can be developed and implemented for small systems. Model WSPs were developed through consultation with key water sector practitioners in the country. Simplified tools were developed to translate the formal WSPs into a format that was meaningful and accessible for communities to use.

This document provides guidance on developing and implementing a WSP auditing scheme, covering such topics as the aim and role of auditing, auditor training and certification, audit criteria, audit timing and frequency and audit reporting. The guidance document includes examples, tips, tools and case studies, and it serves as a practical resource for policy makers, government bodies responsible for drinking-water regulation or surveillance and water suppliers implementing WSPs.

Water quality deterioration in distribution systems, mainly caused by inappropriate planning, design and construction or inadequate operation and maintenance and water quality control, has been linked to a significant proportion of the burden of waterborne and water-related illness. Stresses on these systems caused by rapid urbanization, population growth and aging infrastructure further exacerbates the problems. This reference tool has been developed to help water suppliers and regulators who are familiar with the Water Safety Plan approach, enhance their risk assessment and management and investment planning for their water distribution systems.

Climate change is important to consider in all aspects of utility operations and planning because it can impact both the water resources as well as the infrastructure necessary to provide clean and safe water. The Climate Ready Water Utilities initiative is a practical and easy to use tool developed by EPA to assists the drinking water, waste water and stormwater utilities in understanding and addressing climate change risks and impacts as well as preparing operators systems’ for the impacts of climate change.

Describes the formulation of a Water Safety Plan by Maynilad Water Services, Inc. Philippines.

This tool is designed to guide organized drinking-water supplies through a WSP self-assessment to determine the WSP’s completeness and the effectiveness of its implementation. It aims to support the development, implementation and assessment of WSPs by systematically highlighting the areas where progress is being made and opportunities for improvement.

The Water Research Commission (WRC) project K5/1993//3 “Web enablement of a water safety plan and incorporation of existing similar supply system assessment tool” aimed to establish a methodology to identify and manage the risks of water services infrastructure and the means by which Water Services Institutions (WSIs) are better able to identify and manage these through use of Water Safety Planning. The tool assists in developing a Water Safety Plan. Implementation thereof (e.g. taking required actions, implementing corrective actions, developing and implementing management and communication procedures) of the Water Safety Plan depends on the Water Services Institution (WSI).

Under AusAid funding, WHO supported WSP implementation in Vietnam. This case study highlights key WSP facts, and describes the water supply situation and regulation of WSP in Vietnam

French version. This document describes the WSP implementation process in New Caledonia (French territory in the Pacific Ocean) for 13 municipalities that started in 2008. It describes the risk assessment and management tools used, the benefits achieved, the challenges and solutions to those challenges and the overall lessons learned.

Under AusAid funding, WHO supported WSP implementation in the Philippines. This case study reports on key WSP facts, and describes the status of water supply in the Philippines

Under AusAid funding, WHO supported Water safety plan implementation in Nepal. This case study reports on key WSP facts, and describes the status of water supply.

This document describes the WSP implementation process in New Caledonia (French territory in the Pacific Ocean) for 13 municipalities that started in 2008. It describes the risk assessment and management tools used, the benefits achieved, the challenges and solutions to those challenges and the overall lessons learned.

Under AusAid funding, WHO supported WSP implementation in Bhutan. This case study reports on key facts of the WSPs, and describes the status of water supply in Bhutan.

Provides customized guidance on implementing WSPs in rural water supply systems tailored to the Malaysian context

Under AusAid funding, WHO supported WSP implementation in 10 urban systems in Bangladesh. This case study reports on WSP facts, and provides a description of the status of urban and rural water supply in Bangladesh.

This guidebook, released by UNEP Risoe Center, describes adaptation strategies in the categories of water conservation; storm water control and capture; resilience to water quality degradation; preparation for extreme weather events; diversification of water supply; and mitigation. It has been made widely available and will help both developed and developing countries understand means of increasing resilience to the uncertain effects of future climate change. The Water Institute at UNC provided technical and methodological expertise.

Provides guidance for those responsible for managing water supply systems in buildings on applying the WSP approach to improve risk management and ensure water safety is maintained within the building.

This document provides guidance for managing water supplies in buildings where people may drink water; use water for food preparation; wash, shower, swim or use water for other recreational activities; or be exposed to aerosols produced by water-using devices, such as cooling towers. These uses occur in a variety of buildings, such as hospitals, schools, child and aged care, medical and dental facilities, hotels, apartment blocks, sport centres, commercial buildings and transport terminals.

Numerous publications now exist on the formation and use of WSPs, but most of these focus on largerscale projects run by private or public utilities, commercial enterprises and international NGOs. Tearfund’s particular interest is in how WSPs can be understood and established by user communities which are faced with self-managing a water supply project to gain sustainable access to safe water quality. The guide is written chiefly for the use of a facilitator or facilitating body (eg the hygiene promoters or community mobilisers of a DMT or partner staff) to use in training community members, and in particular,the water project accountability group (eg Water Users Committee) of the community.