Find WSP Resources

Protecting surface water for health provides a structured approach to understanding surface waters and their catchments to support the identification, assessment and prioritization of the risks, and the development of management strategies for their control, as a basis for providing safe drinking-water. Editable versions of the catchment and pollution assess...

Rapid gravity filters are used extensively in many waterworks across the world where they provide a critical part of the water purification process. This document summarises the basic functions and operation of such filters and identifies possible risks to water quality which need to be assessed and managed as part of a treatment water safety......

Set in Iceland, this short video documents how sanitary inspections can be applied as a basic risk management tool for small water supplies. For more information, visit: https://www.surrey.ac.uk/department-civil-environmental-engineering/research/water-environment-and-health-engineering-group...

Set in Uganda, this short video documents how sanitary inspections can be applied as a basic risk management tool for small water supplies in resource limited settings. For more information, visit: https://www.surrey.ac.uk/department-civil-environmental-engineering/research/water-environment-and-health-engineering-group...

Example of a semi-quantitative risk matrix to classify the severity and likelihood of identified hazards and hazardous events....

Tailored guidance package to support rural water safety planning in Sri Lanka. Includes stepwise instructions for trainers to conduct a rural WSP training incorporating a field visit....

The New South Wales (NSW) Public Health Act 2010 requires water suppliers to implement a drinking water quality assurance program that addresses the ‘Framework for management of drinking water quality’ in the Australian drinking water guidelines. NSW Health has recognised the importance of a staged implementation of this requirement and the need to suppo...

This publication presents the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) sanitary inspection packages. These packages update the sanitary inspection forms in WHO’s 1997 Guidelines for drinking-water quality. Volume 3: surveillance and control of community supplies. With more than 25 years of practical experience with the application of sanitary inspections, ...

The effect of climate change on the hydrological cycle is becoming a growing phenomenon and resulting in impacts including flood and drought events, disappearance of glaciers, decrease in groundwater recharge, and water quality degradation (e.g. oxygen depletion in water reservoirs during extreme heat events) (WHO, 2017). Such events are becoming increasingl...

This document presents case studies from lower and higher income settings around the world that highlight O&M benefits resulting from WSP implementation. These case studies contribute to a growing body of information on the outcomes of water safety planning and may be useful in building support for WSPs among water sector senior managers, operational sta...

This report provides a synthesis of water safety plan (WSP) implementation efforts in Ghana. It highlights the implementation status, enabling environment, challenges, opportunities, and relevant recommendations for improvement....

Presents policy-makers with a range of regulatory, planning, financial and educational instruments to support effective policy and promote good practice (including water safety planning) to improve small-scale water supply and sanitation systems. This publication aims to inspire practitioners and policy-makers who develop water supply and sanitation policies...

This Technical Brief, written by CAWST (Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technologies), integrates both approaches and introduces the importance of water safety planning for small communities. It describes the benefits of including household water treatment and safe storage (HWTS) in a water safety plan, and explains how the WSP approach can improv...

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...

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....

Water Safety Plans (WSPs), recommended by the World Health Organization since 2004, can help drinking water suppliers to proactively identify potential risks and implement preventive barriers that improve safety. Few studies have investigated long-term impacts of WSPs, such as changes in drinking water quality or public health; however, some evidence from hi...

This training toolkit aims to support  roll-out of climate resilient WSPs in Nepal by capacitating national trainers. The training materials are based on international (WHO) and national (Department of Water Supply & Sanitation) best practices and experiences. The training toolkit contains a “Facilitators handbook”, “Participants workbook” and p...

This document summarises the type of risks that might occur within treated water storages and how to control them....

It is the experience of many water suppliers that illegal or unauthorised access to the distribution network can occur for a variety of reasons. This poses a number of water quality risks and can also create wider problems related to loss of revenue. This document briefly summarises the water quality risks associated with unauthorised access......

Water Safety Plans (WSPs), recommended by the World Health Organization since 2004, seek to proactively identify potential risks to drinking water supplies and implement preventive barriers that improve safety. To evaluate the outcomes of WSP application in large drinking water systems in France and Spain, we undertook analysis of water quality and complianc...

The Water Safety Conference 2022 recording are available to the public under the “Conference record” page on the conference webpage. https://watersafety2022.org/conference-record/...

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 u...

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 an...

Water safety plans (WPS) have been implemented in every region of the world, and many implementing countries have included WSPs in drinking-water policies or regulations. Enforcement of WSP requirements, as well as general WSP success and sustainability, requires ongoing WSP auditing, i.e. independent and systematic checks of WSP completeness, implementation...

Edfina Drinking Water Treatment Plant was installed at Behira governorate, Egypt in 1998 and, due to increasing of water demand, the water authority intends to increase its capacity by installing a new conventional water treatment plant. However, water resources are suffering from many illegal activities in the catchment which deteriorate the raw water quali...

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 Water safety plan manual provides practical guidance to support development and implementation of water safety planning in accordance with the principles presented in the WHO Guidelines for drinking-water quality. The manual is targeted at water suppliers and organizations supporting water safety planning programmes, including government agencies respon...

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....

聯同《香港建築物食水安全計劃指引》，此範本旨在為業主或物業管理人提供易於使用的工具，為具有一般供水系統的建築物（如住宅及辦公室大廈）制訂和實施建築物水安全計劃。...

In conjunction with the Guidelines for Drinking Water Safety Plans for Buildings in Hong Kong, this template is prepared as an easy-to-use tool for owners and property management agents to develop and implement Water Safety Plan for buildings with general plumbing systems such as residential and office buildings....

聯同《香港建築物食水安全計劃指引》，此範本旨在為業主或物業管理人提供易於使用的工具，為具有一般供水系統的建築物（如住宅及辦公室大廈）制訂和實施建築物水安全計劃。...

In conjunction with the Guidelines for Drinking Water Safety Plans for Buildings in Hong Kong, this template is prepared incorporating input from facility managers of hospitals for management staff to develop and implement Water Safety Plan to enhance water safety in hospitals....

聯同《香港建築物食水安全計劃指引》，此範本納入了醫院設施經理的意見，以協助管理人員制訂和實施水安全計劃，提升醫院內的食水安全。...

聯同《香港建築物食水安全計劃指引》，此範本納入了醫院設施經理的意見，以協助管理人員制訂和實施水安全計劃，提升醫院內的食水安全。...

This template is prepared based on recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO)  to assist the owner or the house management staff of a residential care home for the elderly with an independent internal plumbing system to develop and implement a Water Safety Plan (WSP) to enhance water safety....

In conjunction with the Guidelines for Drinking Water Safety Plans for Buildings in Hong Kong, this template is prepared as an easy-to-use tool for owners or house management staff of residential care homes for the elderly with an independent internal plumbing system to develop and implement Water Safety Plan to enhance water safety....

聯同《香港建築物食水安全計劃指引》，此範本旨在為安老院舍的業主或院舍管理人員提供易於使用的工具，為具有獨立內部供水系統的院舍制訂和實施水安全計劃，提升食水安全。...

聯同《香港建築物食水安全計劃指引》，此範本旨在為安老院舍的業主或院舍管理人員提供易於使用的工具，為具有獨立內部供水系統的院舍制訂和實施水安全計劃，提升食水安全。...

In conjunction with the Guidelines for Drinking Water Safety Plans for Buildings in Hong Kong, this template is prepared as an easy-to-use tool for persons-in-charge of schools’ house management to develop and implement Water Safety Plan to enhance water safety....