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December 12, 2003
By: Holly Rebekah
Website: http://www.water-purification-filters.com
Drinking water in Germany is top quality
Safe drinking water, such as we know it in Germany, is not a matter
of course. Clean high-quality water is part of good health. That
is why the development of a corresponding infrastructure is so important
in Third World countries or presently in Iraq.
From 28th to 30th April, the Federal Environmental Agency (UBA),
together with the WHO (World Health Organization), the BMGS (Federal
Ministry of Health and Social Security), and other German and internationally
active institutions, hosted an international conference in Berlin
on the subject of safe drinking water. 38 experts from 14 countries
reported on their very diverse experiences in securing drinking
water quality. They offered the roughly 250 participants from 36
countries some insight into modern approaches to safety management
in drinking water supply. These approaches were compared to the
World Health Organization’s new concept, so-called “Water
Safety Plans“ (for which a suitable German term has yet to
be found). Water Safety Plans are structured plans which are tailor-made
for an individual supply system so that all risks that might lead
to deterioration of drinking water quality can be systematically
recorded on the one hand, and also provide process control (i.e.
control of all processes from water catchment to the water at the
consumer’s tap) on the other. A similar holistic approach
is already being successfully applied in the food industry.
It became clear in the closing discussion that the conference participants
see this new approach as very positive and will look for ways to
implement it in their home countries.
The event showed that many elements of Water Safety Plans have
largely been put into practice in Germany, not least owing to the
hard work done by the drinking water department at the Federal Environmental
Agency (UBA) as well as legal regulations and trade-specific control
mechanisms. The comparison with problems occurring in other countries
once again made clear the excellence of drinking water quality and
safety in Germany. The Water Safety Plans also pointed to new paths
in achieving future success in guaranteeing consumers safe drinking
water. This instrument might facilitate more efficient surveillance
and swifter risk assessment. This would make this constant task,
which is not to be underestimated, both easier and prevent the occurrence
of pathogens and undesirable substances in drinking water. In fact,
drinking water as we know it in Germany is not a matter of course,
as the lectures representing other parts of the world once again
brought to mind.
The next step for Germany is to engage in a broader discussion
of Water Safety Plans at both the public authority level and among
water supply companies about whether it makes sense to integrate
the proposed system into companies’ self-check mechanisms
as well as into the authorities’ surveillance of that most
vital foodstuff, drinking water.
Additional News, see water purifiers.
Author Notes:
Holly Rebekah contributes and publishes news editorial to http://www.water-purification-filters.com.
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