Small Scale Water Supplies in the European Region

Background - Challenges - Improvements

Prepared by Bettina Rickert and Oliver Schmoll
Preliminary Draft
! "ay #$#
Small Scale %ater Supplies in the &uropean Region
Contents
BACKGROUND............................................................................................................................... 1
WA! ARE S"A## SCA#E WA!ER SU$$#%ES&.........................................................................'
W( ARE S"A## SCA#E WA!ER SU$$#%ES %"$OR!AN!&.....................................................)
WA! ARE !E CA##ENGES&.................................................................................................. *
WA! %S !E E+%DENCE&............................................................................................................. ,
WA! ARE !E COS! AND BENE-%!S O- %N!ER+EN!%ONS&................................................1'
OW CAN WS$ %"$RO+E S"A## SCA#E WA!ER SU$$#%ES& .............................................1)
E.%S!%NG RESOURCE "A!ER%A#S............................................................................................ 1/
CURREN! NE!WORK AC!%+%!%ES.............................................................................................. 10
WA( -ORWARD........................................................................................................................... 11
Small Scale %ater Supplies in the &uropean Region
Bac2groun3
Small scale 'ater supplies are the backbone of 'ater supply in rural areas in the entire &uropean
Region(
$
Safe and acceptable 'ater for human consumption that is available in sufficient )uantity* physically
accessible and affordable is a crucial prere)uisite for human 'ellbeing( +ccess to safe 'ater is not
only fundamental to good health but also to satisfactory livelihoods* dignity and prospects for
economic gro'th and education( ,he lack of access to sufficient amounts of safe 'ater leads to
human suffering and to loss of human potential 'hich is ethically indefensible as 'ell as
economically 'asteful(

,he provision of safe and acceptable drinking-'ater of sufficient )uantity fre)uently represents a
challenge to small scale 'ater supplies( &-perience has sho'n that they are more vulnerable to
breakdo'n and contamination than larger utilities* and that they re)uire particular political attention
due to their administrative* managerial or resourcing specifics( "any of today.s national and
international policy frame'orks already recognise that further attention to this topic is needed(
,his includes the Protocol on %ater and /ealth to the $00 Convention on the Protection and 1se
of ,ransboundary %atercourses and International 2akes 32ondon* $4 5une $0006* the first legally
binding* multilateral agreement in the &uropean Region linking sustainable 'ater management and
health protection( One of the Protocol7s aims is to prevent* control and reduce 'ater-related
disease through ade)uate supply of safe drinking-'ater( 8iven the significance of small scale
'ater supplies in the rural and peri-urban areas in the entire &uropean Region* more focussed
attention to this topic has been increasingly recognised by the Protocol Parties(
+s part of the Protocol7s programme of 'ork* the 9ederal &nvironment +gency 39&+6* %orld
/ealth Organi:ation 3%/O6 Collaborating Centre for Research on Drinking %ater /ygiene*
8ermany* hosted a 'orkshop on ;%ater Safety in Small Scale %ater Supplies in the &uropean
Region< Common Challenges and =eeds> 3Bad &lster* ?-4 =ovember ##@6( Participants from
nineteen countries* including drinking-'ater regulators* researchers* health surveillance
professionals and field-'orkers of non-governmental organisations 3=8O6* shared their
e-periences and evidence related to challenges commonly encountered in small scale 'ater
supplies and options for effective management approaches(
Based on the 'orkshop outcomes* this document is intended for supporting decision makers in the
drinking-'ater sector to better appreciate and address the specifics and characteristics of small
scale 'ater supplies( It provides a range of background information and gives guidance for
addressing the issue of small scale 'ater supplies in national programmes( +dditionally*
information on further reading as 'ell as current regional and international net'orking activities
'ith respect to small scale 'ater supplies is provided(
$
+ccording to the definition of %/O* the &uropean Region comprises the follo'ing !A countries< +lbania* +ndorra*
+rmenia* +ustria* +:erbaiBan* Belarus* Belgium* Bosnia and /er:egovina* Bulgaria* Croatia* Cyprus* C:ech Republic*
Denmark* &stonia* 9inland* 9rance* 8eorgia* 8ermany* 8reece* /ungary* Iceland* Ireland* Israel* Italy* Ca:akhstan*
Cyrgy:stan* 2atvia* 2ithuania* 2u-embourg* "alta* "onaco* "ontenegro* =etherlands* =or'ay* Poland* Portugal*
Republic of "oldova* Romania* Russian 9ederation* San "arino* Serbia* Slovakia* Slovenia* Spain* S'eden*
S'it:erland* ,aBikistan* ,he
9ormer Dugoslav Republic of "acedonia* ,urkey* ,urkmenistan* 1kraine* 1nited Cingdom
and 1:bekistan(

1nited =ation Development Programme ##?(

Summary Human Development Report 2006. Beyond scarcity: Power, poverty and the lo!al water crisis
* =e' Dork(
$
Small Scale %ater Supplies in the &uropean Region
What are small scale 4ater supplies&
,he definition of a small scale 'ater supply can vary 'idely 'ithin and bet'een countries(
9re)uently* small scale 'ater supplies are defined on the basis of legislative provisions such as
population si:e* )uantity of 'ater provided* number of service connections or the type of supply
technology used( 9or e-ample* according to the provisions of the &uropean 1nion 3&16 Drinking
%ater Directive 3D%D6
A
* ;small> supplies are defined as supplies serving bet'een !# and !*###
persons or supplying $# - $*### mE 'ater per day* and ;very small> supplies serving less than !#
people(
=o matter 'hat criteria or terms are used to describe small scale 'ater supplies* typically it is not
the si:e in itself that sets them apart from larger supplies but their administrative* managerial and
operational characteristics* conditions and challenges( 9or the purpose of this document* the term
7small scale 'ater supplies7 is used( 1nless other'ise specified* this term does not refer to a
particular number of people served or an amount of 'ater supplied(
Small scale 'ater supplies comprise different types of supplies 'hich may be categorised by t'o
criteria* i(e( the group of people responsible for their administration* management and operation
and the group of users of the supply<
$ri5ate or in3i5i3ual 4ells< point sources* such as boreholes* dug 'ells or springs* potentially
piped into the d'elling or yard* 'hich typically serve a single family or a small number of
households 3e(g( farms* hamlets6* and 'hich are operated by the users themselves(
Communit6 manage3 supplies< systems administered and managed in self-responsibility by
the community members 3e(g( cooperatives6 'ho are also the users of the 'ater( Community
managed 'ater supplies range from simple point sources from 'hich community members
collect 'ater and carry it home to more sophisticated systems 'hich may involve treatment*
storage and piped distribution into d'ellings or yards(
$u7lic supplies< systems administered and managed by a distinct public entity 3e(g(
municipality* 'ater board association6 responsible for the provision of drinking-'ater to the
public in a spatially limited area 3e(g( small municipality or to'n6(
Small scale systems are vital to 'ater supply of significant parts of the population in all countries of
the &uropean Region( ,his applies to both permanent residents and transient users 3e(g( tourists*
guests6( Small scale 'ater supplies usually prevail in rural areas* including individual farms or
settlements* hamlets* villages and small to'ns* or on small islands( ,ypically they can also be
found in vacation or leisure homes* trailer parks or camping grounds( Displaced* mobile* migrant
and temporary populations* including occupiers of temporary homes* pilgrims* nomads* seasonal
'orkers or participants of large festivals or fairs may place additional stress on management and
operation of small scale 'ater supplies( %ater supplies serving peri-urban areas 3i(e( the
communities surrounding maBor to'ns and cities6 are often beyond the reach of municipal services
and organised in the same 'ay(
&ven though information on small scale 'ater supplies is limited* data on the population living in
rural areas* on access to improved 'ater supplies in rural areas and e-amples on the occurrence
and distribution of small scale 'ater supplies from various countries emphasi:e their significance(
A
Council Directive 0@F@AF&C of A =ovember $00@ on the )uality of 'ater intended for human consumption(

Small Scale %ater Supplies in the &uropean Region

Wh6 are small scale 4ater supplies important&
,he 1nited =ation "illennium Development 8oal 3"D86 target 4c calls on countries to halve* by
#$!* the proportion of people 'ithout sustainable access to safe drinking-'ater and basic
sanitation( ,he 5oint "onitoring Programme 35"P6 of %/O and the 1nited =ation Children7s 9und
31=IC&96 is mandated to monitor progress to'ards the "D8( +s the indicator for drinking-'ater*
5"P uses the proportion of the population using an improved drinking-'ater source in urban and
rural areas( Improved drinking-'ater sources 3,able $6 are those that by the nature of their
construction ade)uately protect the source from outside contamination* in particular 'ith faecal
matter( ,herefore* they are more likely to provide safe drinking-'ater than sources characterised
as unimproved( Current 5"P data suggest that* at a global scale* the access to safe drinking-'ater
targeted for #$! is e-pected to be met or even e-ceeded at the current rate of progress(
G

!a7le 1. 5"P classification for improved and unimproved drinking-'ater sources
8%mpro5e39 3rin2ing:4ater sources 8Unimpro5e39 3rin2ing:4ater sources
Piped 'ater into d'elling* plot or yard
Public tap or standpipe
,ube'ell or borehole
Protected dug 'ell
Protected spring
Rain'ater collection
1nprotected dug 'ell
1nprotected spring
Cart 'ith small tank or drum
,anker truck
Surface 'ater 3river* dam* lake* pond* stream* canal*
irrigation channel6
Bottled 'ater
On a global scale* @@G million people or $A H of the 'orld7s population had no access to improved
'ater supply in ##@( Disparities bet'een urban and rural areas are significant< @G H of the
population 'ithout access to improved sources live in rural areas(
!

In the &uropean Region* appro-imately A# H of the total population live in rural areas 3,able 6(
+ccess to improved drinking-'ater sources in countries of the &uropean Region varies bet'een
4# H and $## H* and in rural areas bet'een ?$ H and $## H( Of the population in urban areas
$ H is 'ithout access to improved drinking-'ater sources* ho'ever* in rural areas* this is the case
for ? H of the population or circa $? million people(
?
"ore details for &astern &urope* Caucasus
and Central +sia 3&&CC+6 countries* for South &ast &urope 3S&&6 countries and &1 member
states are given in ,able in conBunction 'ith 9igure $(
%nclu3e map 3epicting EURO countries an3 su7:regions
;WO CC Bonn< %na Wienan3=
G
%/O and 1=IC&9 #$#( Proress on sanitation and drin"in#water: 20$0 update* 8eneva and =e' Dork(
!
See above(
?
See above(
A
Small Scale %ater Supplies in the &uropean Region
!a7le '. +ccess to improved drinking-'ater sources in rural areas in the &uropean Region
4
Area !otal
population
$roportion o>
rural population
Access to impro5e3 sources
Rural population %otal population
&uropean Region @@0*!4G*### A# H 0G H 0@ H
&1 G0G*4?0*### ? H 0 H 0! H
&&CC+ 4?*@$0*### A? H @! H 0 H
S&& !?*G0*### G! H !0 H ?$ H
Other countries 0A*4A?*### 0 H 04 H 00 H
Detailed and systematic information on ho' many small scale 'ater supplies e-ist and 'here they
prevail in different countries of the &uropean Region is not readily available( /o'ever* it is very
clear< they are many I this is sho'n by the follo'ing e-emplary data<
@
/ulsmann 3##!6 estimates that one in ten citi:ens of the European Union receives drinking-
'ater from small or very small systems* including private 'ells(
0

In German6* appro-imately # H of the population receives 'ater from more than A*A## small
public supplies serving less than !*### people* and about 4##*### use 'ater from
appro-imately $@!*### private or hamlet 'ells( In the 9ederal States of Bavaria and Baden-
%Jrttemberg* for e-ample* more than one third of the population is served by small public
supplies(
"ore than 0# H of the circa *0## drinking-'ater suppliers in S4it?erlan3 are small suppliers
serving less than !*### inhabitants(
In %tal6* out of the appro-imately $$*!## drinking-'ater supplies in $000* more than 4*$##
served bet'een A-4! m
A
per day* and circa *@## served bet'een 4?-$*A4# m
A
per dayK
most of those small public supplies on spring or 'ell 'ater(
In the C?ech Repu7lic* 4(? H of the population are supplied 'ith 'ater from individual sources
3i(e( domestic 'ells for permanent households6K in addition* several million people use 'ater
from domestic 'ells during 'eekends or holidays 3i(e( cottages* 'eekend houses* recreational
facilities6( +ccording to the last official estimation in $0@0* there 'ere about 4!#*### private
'ells in the C:ech Republic( In ##4* 0A H of the G*#?! 'ater supply :ones served each less
than !### persons* 'ith 0 H serving less than $## persons and !$ H serving bet'een $#$-
$*### persons(
+ppro-imately $*### of the $*G!# 'ater'orks in -inlan3 are classified as small scale
'ater'orks in rural areas* serving !#-!## inhabitants(
+bout ! H of the total population of A(G million in #ithuania is from individual 3dug6 'ells*
mostly serving one family( Out of the $*0$@ centralised public drinking-'ater supplies in
2ithuania* ? H serve bet'een $##-$### m
A
per day and 0$ H serve less than $## m
A
per day(
4
&' countries< +ustria* Belgium* Bulgaria* Cyprus* C:ech Republic* Denmark* &stonia* 9inland* 9rance* 8ermany*
8reece* /ungary* Ireland* Italy* 2atvia* 2ithuania* 2u-embourg* "alta* =etherlands* Poland* Portugal* Romania*
Slovakia* Slovenia* Spain* S'eden and 1nited Cingdom( &&(() countries< +rmenia* +:erbaiBan* Belarus* 8eorgia*
Ca:akhstan* Cyrgy:stan* Republic of "oldova* Russian 9ederation* ,aBikistan* ,urkmenistan* 1kraine and 1:bekistan(
S&& countries< +lbania* Bosnia and /er:egovina* Bulgaria* Croatia* "ontenegro* Republic of "oldova* Romania* Serbia
and ,he 9ormer Dugoslav Republic of "acedonia( *ther countries< +ndorra* Iceland* Israel* "onaco* =or'ay* San
"arino* S'it:erland and ,urkey(
@
1nless other'ise indicated* all country specific data are based on personal communication at the 'orkshop held on
?-4 =ovember ##@* Bad &lster* 8ermany(
0
/ulsmann* +( ##!(
Small systems lare pro!lems: ) &uropean inventory o+ small water systems and associated pro!lems( %eb-based &uropean Cno'ledge =et'ork on %ater

3%&C=O%6( +vailable at< http<FF'''('ekno'-
'aternet'ork(comFuploadsFbookletsF#!LsmallL'aterLsystemsLverLBune##!(pdf 3accessed on $0 "ay #$#6(
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Small Scale %ater Supplies in the &uropean Region
In Estonia $? H of the total population relies on private 'ater supplies 3boreholes and 'ells6*
and !0 H of the rural population is connected to centralised public 'ater supplies( Out of the
$*A! centralised drinking-'ater supplies in &stonia* $#4 supply bet'een $##-$### m
A
per day
serving appro-imately $ H of the total population* and $*$#? supply less than $## m
A
per day
serving about $ H of the total population* too(
In Scotlan3* a population of $?#*### people 3i(e( e-cluding thousands of occasional users
such as holiday makers6 or A H of the total population is served by appro-imately $?*###
private 'ater supplies(
In Belarus* about G4 H of the rural population receives drinking-'ater from small centralised
public 'ater supplies(
In K6rg6?stan* appro-imately @A H of rural d'ellers receive their drinking-'ater from
municipality or government managed centralised 'ater supplies( /o'ever* more than ?##*###
people 3# H6 in ca( G@# villages use 'ater from irrigation channels or rivers to meet their
drinking and other 'ater needs(
In Armenia* 'ater supply is performed through about @@# centrali:ed public 'ater supplies*
largely managed by ! organised utilitiesK additionally* in about !4# rural communities the
supply is operated by the community or municipality itself(
In order to appreciate the relevance of small scale 'ater supplies* and to address the related
issues appropriately* the follo'ing section describes a range of typical challenges they face(
!
Small Scale %ater Supplies in the &uropean Region
What are the challenges&
Small scale 'ater supplies face a number of similar characteristics and challenges( ,hey are
related to their regulatory environment* administration* management* operation or available
technical* personnel and financial resources( ,hey include I but are not limited to I the aspects
listed belo'( It should be noted* ho'ever* that neither every characteristic described belo' is
necessarily relevant to all small scale 'ater supplies nor are the challenges limited to small scale
'ater supplies only( ,he list rather reflects e-periences shared and reported by countries
represented at the previously mentioned 'orkshop in Bad &lster(
Regulations
Small scale supplies are often not regulated or regulated differently compared to larger
supplies( ,he supranational legislation of the &1 is an e-ample for this< +ccording to the
provisions of the D%D* member states may e-empt supplies serving less than $# mE a day or
serving fe'er than !# persons from the minimum re)uirements of the D%D* unless the 'ater is
supplied as part of a commercial or public activity( In cases 'here regulatory re)uirements for
small scale 'ater supplies e-ist* enforcement mechanisms tend to be 'eak or ineffective*
amongst other reasons* due to their large numbers and geographical spread(
Regulations often base re)uired drinking-'ater )uality monitoring fre)uencies on the si:e of
the population served( "inimum monitoring re)uirements for small scale 'ater supplies are
comparatively rare and typically range bet'een $ and G analyses per yearK some Burisdictions
even e-clude private 'ells from any monitoring re)uirements( In combination 'ith non-e-istent
or less stringent reporting re)uirements* in many countries* systematic evidence on the status
of drinking-'ater )uality in small scale 'ater supplies is not readily available(
Attention an3 sense o> responsi7ilit6
&-perience has sho'n that small scale 'ater supplies typically receive less political attention(
"anagers and operators of small community managed or public supplies are rarely organised
in professional net'orks or lobby groups that Mmouthpiece7 their interests( ,herefore* financial
and political support* both locally and nationally* is harder to leverage* resulting in limited and
inconsistent resourcing(
,here is fre)uently a lo' level of a'areness and kno'ledge of potential risks from 'ater to
health amongst rural populations I as if to say< ;,y randpa already dran" our local
roundwater and never ot sic".>
,he inaccurate perception of the importance of 'ater supply for public health protection may
lead to a lack of sense of responsibility among local decision makers resulting in comparatively
little political priority and thus under-resourcing of 'ater supply(
Sta>> an3 management
Small scale 'ater supplies fre)uently lack personnel 'ith specialised kno'ledge( Often non
'ater professionals or undertrained persons operate the supply( In community managed or
public supplies* staff regularly has many tasks 'ithin the community or municipality in addition
to 'ater supply( Due to the larger geographical spread* and sometimes remoteness and
isolation* operators of small scale 'ater supplies lack easy access to information* e-pert
?
Small Scale %ater Supplies in the &uropean Region
assistance and technical supportK there is also a lo' level of net'orking in scientific and
professional communities(
9re)uently* there is a lack of a'areness and kno'ledge and application of internationally or
nationally recognised Mgood7 managerial and operational practices* including those
recommended by the %/O 8uidelines for Drinking-'ater Nuality or relevant international
standards( Integrated risk assessment and risk management approaches* such as the %/O-
recommended %ater Safety Plan 3%SP6 approach* are not e-tensively applied(
Water resources an3 treatment
Small scale 'ater supplies are more vulnerable to contamination( In many rural conte-ts*
sanitary protection of drinking-'ater sources is inade)uateK protection :ones are often not
established( &specially in agricultural areas* common critical pollution risks include cattle
breeding and 'ildlife* poor manure management or inade)uate local sanitation practices 'hich
fre)uently result in poor microbial drinking-'ater )uality or elevated nitrate levels(
,he use of 'ater treatment technologies is generally limited and not necessarily consistent 'ith
source 'ater )uality( In many rural settings* ground'ater is used for drinking purposes 'ithout
disinfection* regardless of its contamination level( /eavy rainfalls and tha' have been reported
to pose significant stress to small scale treatment systems( Small scale 'ater supplies are also
e-pected to be less resilient to )uality and )uantity 3e(g( 'ater scarcity6 issues induced by
climate change(
Small scale 'ater supplies are more vulnerable to breakdo'n( "aintenance of infrastructures
is often limited due to the lack of ade)uate resourcing* spare parts or building materials( In
conse)uence* aged supply infrastructures of in principle 7improved7 sources are often disrupted
or not in 'orking condition( ,his and the lack of electricity limit operations* fre)uently leading to
intermitted supply 'ith negative impacts on personal* domestic and food hygiene conditions(
1sers may also turn to other* potentially Munimproved7 and therefore unsafe sources as
alternative sources of 'ater supply(
Small scale 'ater supplies have relatively greater capital costs of technical installations and
also per unit costs of materials and construction are generally larger(
4
Small Scale %ater Supplies in the &uropean Region
What is the e5i3ence&
In many countries of the &uropean Region* systematic evidence on the status of drinking-'ater
)uality in small scale 'ater supplies is not readily available( Personnel* financial or technical
capacities and outreach of local* regional or national agencies mandated 'ith drinking-'ater
)uality are often 'eak in rural areas( &-perience has sho'n that systematic and ongoing routine
drinking-'ater )uality surveillance of small scale 'ater supplies* including drinking-'ater )uality
monitoring and sanitary inspection* is fre)uently inade)uate or non-e-istent( In rural areas*
independent surveillance of drinking-'ater )uality and sanitary risks is fre)uently rather random
and ad-hoc based* for e-ample in response to disease outbreaks or incidents(
=ationally available drinking-'ater )uality data are often biased to 'ater supply in urban areas and
rarely represent the situation in rural areas( 9urthermore* data are commonly scattered among
different local* regional and national institutions* difficult to access and thus not ready for analysis(
In conse)uence* there is little readily available Mhard data7 on drinking-'ater )uality in small scale
'ater supplies in the &uropean RegionK respective evidence therefore often remains Minformal7 and
Manecdotal7( +n e-emplary overvie' of drinking-'ater )uality data for a limited number of countries
in the &uropean Region is sho'n in ,able A(
,he information provided in ,able A also sho's that compliance 'ith microbial indicators 3e(g(
&scherichia coli* thermotolerant coliforms or total coliforms6 remains a challenge in many small
scale 'ater supplies* more than in centralised supplies* resulting in 'ater of a )uality potentially
not safe for consumption( /o'ever* data on the occurrence of 'aterborne pathogens 'hich may
be of relevance in rural areas 3e(g( pathogenic &scherichia coli* (ampylo!acter -e-uni* Salmonella
typhi* (ryptosporidium parvum* .iardia intestinalis6 are sparsely available due to the lack of
specialised analytical techni)ues in many local laboratories( In addition to microbial pollution*
chemical contamination 'ith naturally occurring arsenic* fluoride* uranium* sulphate* iron or
manganese as 'ell as nitrate or pesticides in agricultural areas remains a considerable local or
regional concern(
!a7le ). &-emplary drinking-'ater )uality data for small scale supplies in the &uropean Region(
$#
Englan3 an3 Wales
+n analysis of data collected from $!# local authorities in &ngland covering about A!*### microbial 'ater
)uality results for about $$*## private 'ater supply sites for the time period $00?-##A revealed that
&. coli 'as detected in $0 H of samples 'ith at least one positive sample being detected at A H of 'ater
supply sites 3compared to #($ H of samples from mains 'ater supplies6( %hile only appro-imately #(! H of
the total population relies on private supplies* A? H of all detected drinking-'ater outbreaks 'ere
associated 'ith such supplies(
$$

$
$#
1nless other'ise indicated* all country specific data in ,able A are based on personal communication at the 'orkshop
held on ?-4 =ovember ##@* Bad &lster* 8ermany(
$$
/unter* P( R(* Pond* C(* 5agals* P( O Cameron* 5( ##0( +n assessment of the costs and benefits of interventions
aimed at improving rural community 'ater supplies in developed countries( Science o+ the %otal &nvironment G#4* A?@$-
A?@!( +vailable at< http<FF'''(sciencedirect(comFsciencePLobQ"ImgOLimagekeyQB?R4@-G%#AGG=-G-
!OLcdiQ!@A?OLuserQ!0#!?0OLpiiQS##G@0?04#0##G0?OLorigQsearchOLcoverDateQ#?H9#$H9##0OLskQ00!00
0@4Ovie'QcO'chpQd82:Rt:-:Sk%bOmd!Q@?!#4c4!#?b##?bf@!?f#G!fdfG4OieQFsdarticle(pdf 3accessed on !
"ay #$#6(
@
Small Scale %ater Supplies in the &uropean Region
Scotlan3
Out of $*4!# samples taken from private 'ater supplies in Scotland bet'een $00 and $00@* G$ H failed
compliance for total coliforms* A# H failed for &. coli and $! H failed for nitrate( ,he combined failure rate
'as G@ H( +fter the introduction of ne' regulations for private 'ater supplies* data from ##@ sho' that
A H of the *?!# samples taken from private 'ells did not comply 'ith &. coli standards( =on compliance
rates for chemical parameters include copper and iron 3both ca( $ H6K manganese 3ca( 0 H6K lead* fluoride
and nitrate 3all ca( ? H6K and arsenic 3ca( H6( Bet'een $ 5anuary ##? and $! October ##@ there 'ere
G@ confirmed clinical cases of &. coli O$!4 infection 'here &. coli. O$!4 contamination of a private 'ater
supply 'as either confirmed or suspected(
C?ech Repu7lic
In a study carried out by the =ational Institute of Public /ealth in $000* revie'ing 'ater )uality data from
about $*4## small public ground'ater 'ell supplies and A*A## private 'ells of the period $00$-$00@*
sho'ed a non-compliance rate 'ith health related parameters of about 4# H( 0 out of 4 'aterborne
outbreaks reported in $00!-##! 'ere caused by private 3domestic6 'ells and another $# by small
commercial 'ells(
#ithuania
=o routine monitoring for private 'ells is re)uiredK for most of the shallo' dug 'ells monitoring is ad-hoc(
Contamination 'ith nitrate 3G? H6 and microbial indicators 3@ H6 are most common( "a-imum nitrate
levels found 'ere ?# mgFl 3median< GA mgFl6* and a fe' cases of infant metheamoglobinaemia 3;blue baby
syndrome>6 are reported every year 3e(g( A cases in ##46( In small public drinking-'ater supplies* e-cess
concentrations of naturally occurring fluoride are a maBor )uality concern( Out of all non-compliances
detected* 0! H occur in small public 'ater supplies serving less than $## m
A
per day(
Estonia
In 0? small centralised 'ater supplies* the maBor drinking-'ater )uality problem are e-cess concentrations
of naturally occurring fluoride of higher than $(! mgFlK the degree of contamination varies regionally and
depends on the used ground'ater level( "icrobial contamination in small centralised 'ater supplies(
%aterborne outbreaks have not been reported since ###(
!he -ormer (ugosla5 Repu7lic o> "ace3onia
In ##4* H of the rural population used unsafe 'ater( AA H of the rural population used centralised piped
'ater supply systems represent 'ith a bacteriological failure rate of ca( HK local piped 'ater supply
systems 'ere used by !G H of the rural population 3bacteriological failure rate< A H6K local 3non-piped6
'ater sources are used by $A H 3bacteriological failure rate< A# H6(
German6
In the 9ederal State of Baden-%Jrttemberg* for e-ample* !A samples from about $A*!## private 'ells
'ere analysed in ##4K non-compliance rates for &. coli and total coliforms 'ere $@ H and GA H*
respectively( =on-compliance rates for small public 'ater supplies serving less than !*### persons 'ere
H and ! H for &. coli and total coliforms* respectively( Data from the 9ederal State of Bavaria sho'
similar figures( In ##* about 4## samples from private 'ells 'ere tested for &. coli 'ith a non-compliance
rate of appro-imately H( In comparison* non-compliance in centralised public supplies 'as about A(! H
only(
+ recent revie' of 'ater )uality data for small public supplies in 8ermany for ##4 revealed that non-
compliances for &. coli* enterococci* colony count* nitrate* ammonium* iron* manganese* p/ and turbidity
'ere particularly fre)uent( ,he revie' also sho'ed that the number of non-compliances decreases at
increasing si:e of supplies 3i(e( A0@ non-compliances 'ere detected in supply :ones serving bet'een $#-
$## m
A
per dayK 4G 'ere detected in supply :ones serving bet'een $##-G## m
A
per day and $G? 'ere
detected in supply :ones serving bet'een G##-$*### m
A
per day6( +bout @(! H of all 'ater supply :ones
serving less than !*### people or $*### m
A
per day sho'ed at least one non-compliance in ##4(
-inlan3
In a pilot study 'hich investigated G! small scale 'ater supplies serving less than !## persons in the rural
areas* the most fre)uent drinking-'ater )uality problems identified include acidity 3AA H of the samples6*
iron and manganese 3? H6* coliforms 3$@ H6* turbidity and colour 30 H6* &. coli 34 H6 and fluoride 3G H6(
0
Small Scale %ater Supplies in the &uropean Region
Armenia
In the period $00$-##$ in total ! outbreaks of intestinal infections 3e(g( typhoid fever* cholera* viral
hepatitis +* bacterial dysentery or intestinal infections of unkno'n etiology6 'ith $*!#@ cases of morbidity
'ere reportedK in the period ##-##4* 4 outbreaks of 'aterborne disease 'ith A*!4? cases 'ere
reported(
Belarus
=on-compliance 'ith the sanitary re)uirements for drinking-'ater to rural populations is appro-imately
GG H( =orms for microbial indicator parameters and chemical parameters are not met in $? H and G$ H of
the casesK non-compliance 'ith iron is highest 'ith ca( !# H(
,he challenges reported* in combination 'ith 'ater )uality data indicating a comparatively high
degree of non-compliance 'ith microbial indicators* give cause for the )uestion in ho' far small
scale 'ater supplies - in comparison to larger supplies - are actually more prone to outbreaks of
'aterborne disease 3such as acute diarrhoeal illness* typhoid* cholera* bacillary dysentery* &. coli
infections and viral hepatitis +6(
&very year* about #4 million incidents and A0*### deaths are attributed to diarrhoea in the
&uropean Region( ,he burden of disease caused by diarrhoea in &urope amounts to
appro-imately $*A0A*### D+2D 3disability-adBusted life years6 per year( On a global scale* 0# H of
those 'ho die are children under the age of !(
$A

Systematic* easily accessible evidence on 'aterborne disease outbreaks in small communities in
the &uropean Region is currently not readily available( /o'ever* Manecdotal evidence7 suggests
that outbreaks of 'aterborne diseases in small rural communities are largely underreported(
&-perience has sho'n that disease surveillance is primarily ad-hoc driven in response to incidents
rather than systematic and prospective and that effective surveillance systems are often lacking or
not ade)uate in rural areas( + complicating challenge in rural areas is that single outbreaks
typically have relatively lo' numbers of cases 'hich are difficult to capture and to associate to a
common source of e-posure( In addition* most of the diseases transmitted by ingestion of
contaminated 'ater are transmitted in higher fre)uencies from other sources such as food and
person-to-person contact* making it difficult to identify the e-tent of the contribution of 'ater(
,able G presents the preliminary results of an ongoing literature revie' on disease outbreaks in
small scale 'ater supplies for the &uropean Region(
%nclu3e summar6 o> results o> ongoing literature re5ie4 o> 3isease
out7rea2s an3 health outcomes relate3 to small scale 4ater supplies
;%SS< En?o -unari=
$A
%/O ##@( .lo!al Burden o+ Disease: 200/ 'pdate* 8eneva( +vailable at<
http<FF'''('ho(intFhealthinfoFglobalLburdenLdiseaseF8BDLreportL##GupdateLfull(pdf 3accessed on ! "ay #$#6(
$#
Small Scale %ater Supplies in the &uropean Region
What are the cost an3 7ene>its o> inter5entions&
,he benefits from investing in small scale 'ater supplies and from developing appropriate policies*
programmes and regulations are significant( ,he impact of diarrhoeal disease for children under
the age of $! is greater than the combined impact of /IRF+IDS* tuberculosis and malaria( ,he
provision of improved drinking-'ater and sanitation could reduce diarrhoeal diseases by nearly
0#H* and current estimates indicate that improvements in these areas could reduce the number of
children 'ho die each year by ( million(
By improving the situation regarding access to drinking-'ater and sanitation* significant savings in
health-care costs and gains in productive days can be realised( %hile the median reported
government spending on sanitation and drinking-'ater is #(G@H 3for drinking-'ater only< #(#GH -
(@H6 of the gross domestic product 38DP6* investments result in large economic returns* recently
estimated by the %orld Bank to amount to appro-imately H - 4H of the 8DP(
$G
,he main economic benefits of investments in drinking-'ater and sanitation are
/ealth-care savings by health agencies and individuals
Productive days gained per year 3for those $!-!0 years of age6 and increased school
attendance
,ime savings 3'orking days gained6 resulting from more convenient access to services
Ralue of deaths averted 3based on future earnings6
$!
,he prevention of illness and death results in the avoidance of associated health costs* as 'ell as
an increased potential for education and business development* and an increase of the long-term
sustainability of small communities( In developed countries* an 1S S $ investment results in a
return of 1S S (4@? 3in terms of costs averted and productivity gained6( In developing countries*
the return is even significantly higher at 1S S !(04 per 1S S $ investment* particularly due to the
significant decrease of mortality rates 'hich can be achieved through investments
$?
( /ealth
benefits of improvements of the management of small scale 'ater supplies in developed countries
out'eigh the costs
$4
( /o'ever* according to the 1=-%ater 82++S report of #$#* ?H of
sanitation and drinking-'ater aid is targeted to large systems 3for drinking-'ater* these include
treatment* drinking-'ater conveyance and distribution6* 'hereas appro-imately $?H of the aids are
targeted at basic systems 3lo' cost technologies such as* for drinking-'ater* hand pumps* spring
catchment* gravity-fed systems* rain'ater collection* storage tanks* and small distribution
systems6
$@
(
$G
%/O< 82++S #$#( 1=-%ater global annual assessment of sanitation and drinking-'ater( ,argeting resources for
better results* 8eneva 3#$#6* accessible at http<FF'''(un'ater(orgFdo'nloadsF1=-%aterL82++SL#$#LReport(pdf
$!
&vans* B(* /utton* 8(* /aller 2(< &valuation of the costs and benefits of 'ater and sanitation improvements at a global
level 3##G6* accessible at http<FF'''('ho(intF'aterLsanitationLhealthF'sh#G#G(pdf
$?
Cameron 5(* /unter P(* Pond C(* eds(< Raluing 'ater* valuing livelihoods< 8uidance document on social cost-benefit
analysis of drinking-'ater interventions* 'ith special reference to small community 'ater supplies 3in press6* cited in<
%/O< Small and Safe( Investing in small community 'ater supplies 'ill reduce 'aterborne disease outbreaks and
overall costs 3#$#6
$4
/unter P(* Pond C(* 5agals P(* Cameron 5(< +n assessment of the costs and benefits of interventions aimed at
improving rural community 'ater supplies in developed countries* in< Science of the ,otal &nvironment 3##06
$@
Comparison of donor commitments to sanitation 'ith donor commitments to drinking 'ater proBects* $G donors* ##@
$$
Small Scale %ater Supplies in the &uropean Region
o4 can WS$ impro5e small scale 4ater supplies&
During the revision of the %/O 8uidelines for Drinking-'ater Nuality leading to the A
rd
edition* the
value of the %SP approach 'hich is based on the food safety principle of /a:ard +nalysis and
Critical Control Points 3/+CCP6* and focuses on prevention and process control has repeatedly
been highlighted( It is part of the 9rame'ork for Safe Drinking %ater of the %/O in 'hich it is
complemented by the components health based targets* as 'ell as an independent surveillance(
Related national regulatory re)uirements e-ist* also for small supplies* e(g( in S'it:erland* Iceland
and the 1C(
+s part of the %SP approach* the follo'ing )uestions are being asked in a continuous cycle<
%hat are the ha:ards in my supply systemP
/o' do I fi- the ha:ardsP
/o' do I kno' that the ha:ards are fi-edP
Critical factors for the success of %SP in small scale 'ater supply systems are the demystification
of %SPs* a need for easy* plain-'orded language* development and distribution of nationally
adapted* technology specific model %SPs* availability of guidance in multiple languages* 'ork
aiming for incremental improvements - noting that ;it is important Bust to get started>* and that there
is no one single 'ay to develop a %SP - * professional support of the implementation and
application of %SP 'ith ade)uate e-perience and e-pertise* 'ith trained %SP facilitators* and
$
Small Scale %ater Supplies in the &uropean Region
complemented by surveillance* and the presence of training and education programmes*
establishment of partnerships(
So far* only limited evidence e-ists of the use of %SP in small scale 'ater supplies( Individual
proBect-driven pilots including small supplies e-ist from e(g( the C:ech Republic* +ustria* 9inland
and 8ermany( Pilots in the conte-t of development aid programmes 'ere conducted in e(g(
Cyrgy:stan( + pilot proBect conducted in 8ermany as a Boint e-ercise of G neighbouring small scale
'ater supplies
$0
led to the conclusion that %SP is an e-cellent tool for small scale 'ater supplies*
as small supplies are less comple-* and responsibilities are less divers( It 'as found that*
particularly through the partnership bet'een the involved small supplies* becoming blind to
shortcomings 'as avoided* the organisation and documentation became more reliable* and that a
better legal protection through preventative protection of public safety 'as achieved(
S'it:erland* 'here drinking-'ater is categorised as a food* has developed regulations for a simple
)uality management system in drinking-'ater supplies* based on the /+CCP principle( In Iceland*
drinking-'ater is also regulated under food legislation* and a /+CCP-based approach has been
developed for the specific needs of small scale 'ater supplies(
+ %SP-manual for the step-by-step risk management for drinking-'ater suppliers 'as published
by %/O in ##0* and is available online in &nglish* Spanish and Chinese
#
( + %SP-manual*
specifically suited to the particular re)uirements of small scale 'ater supplies is currently being
developed by %/O(
$0
9riedmann* R(< %ater Safety Plan fJr die ,rink'asserversorgung( +uf sicheren 9JTen stehen( %SP - ein
ausge:eichnetes Instrument fJr kleine 1nternehmen* in< UfC ,echnik 3##@6
#
%orld /ealth Organi:ation< %ater Safety Plan "anual( Step-by-step risk management for drinking-'ater suppliers
3##06K accessible online at http<FF'h)libdoc('ho(intFpublicationsF##0F04@0G$!??A@Leng(pdf 3&nglish6*
http<FF'h)libdoc('ho(intFpublicationsF##0F04@0GA!??A?Lspa(pdf 3Spanish6* and
http<FF'h)libdoc('ho(intFpublicationsF##0F04@0G!!??AGLchi(pdf 3Chinese6
$A
Application o> WS$ in small scale 4ater supplies@ the eAample o> %celan3
It 'as noted that in Iceland* reported 'aterborne diseases during the last # years 'ere all
related to small 'ater'orks in fishing to'ns or in recreational areas 38unnarsdVttir ##!6(
,herefore* it 'as considered important to implement a preventive 'ater safety approach in
smaller communities( 8uidelines for /+CCP 'ere created in $00?* ho'ever* 'ere found to
be too comple- and time consuming for smaller 'ater'orks 'ith limited resources* and the
basis for a simpler %SP 3Mmini-/+CCP76 'as developed for them in ##G( ,he development
of this approach 'as in cooperation 'ith four small 'ater'orks* and the principle is no'
being actively promoted* 'ith guidelines available on the 'ebsite of the +ssociation of
Icelandic %ater'orks( +n analysis of regular surveillance results in ##G sho'ed that in
south Iceland* 'hich is a farming area 'ith a population of appro-imately #*###* a $## H
compliance 'ith regulatory re)uirements for drinking-'ater )uality 'as achieved in the three
to'ns 'here /+CCP had been implemented* 'hereas the overall compliance in the area
'as @! H* and non-compliance occurred predominantly at small 'ater'orks in farming
areas( It 'as planned to evaluate the introduced mini-/+CCP principle in order to identify
'hat kind of support is still re)uired for the implementation of this principle in smaller
communities( It 'as considered one of the maBor challenges to secure the safety of 'ater
from 'ater'orks serving smaller communities 'ith simpler 'ater supply systems(
8unnarsdVttir* "(* 8issurarson* 2(< /+CCP and 'ater safety plans in Icelandic 'ater supply< Preliminary
evaluation of e-perience* in< I%+ 5ournal of %ater and /ealth* #?(A ##@K and 8unnarsdVttir* "(* 8issurarson* 2(<
/+CCP in Icelandic %ater Supply - evaluating eight years of e-perience 3##?* accessible at
'''(samorka(isFdocF$!4
Small Scale %ater Supplies in the &uropean Region
EAisting resource materials
,he Scottish &-ecutive has published a ,echnical "anual for Private %ater Supplies
$
in &nglish
'hich is intended to assist professionals regulating and maintaining private 'ater supplies( ,he
document Private 0ater Supplies %echnical ,anual Part 12 3 Ris" )ssessment has been
translated into Russian* and is available from the Boint Secretariat on CD and hard copy* and has
been distributed to the %/O net'ork of country offices( ,he manual incorporates earlier guidance
for small supplies* and particularly their operation and regulation( It covers the aspects of
properties and contaminants of 'ater* source selection* protection and monitoring* risk assessment
for private 'ater supplies 3including case studies6* 'ater treatment* legislative background*
sampling and response to 'aterborne ha:ards for private 'ater supplies(
,he publication of the -innish &nvironment Institute

covers the topics of 'ater )uality* )uality

control* operational monitoring* technology* distribution* maintenance and emergency situations at
small 'ater'orks( ,he focus of this guide is on 'ater supplies using shallo' ground'ater sources*
'ith small 'ater'orks7 operators being the target audience of the document( ,he purpose is to
provide help and advice 'ith respect to maintenance of the 'ater'orks* as 'ell as to serve as a
handbook of 'ater hygiene issues in small scale 'ater'orks* supporting operators 'ith the
preparation for an official e-amination designed for 'ater'orks personnel( 8eneral re)uirements
and considerations are described* and special attention is given to small scale supplies in case
deviations from the general situation apply( + check list for assessing the vulnerability of small
'ater'orks* covering the areas of ground'ater intake F surroundings* 'ater treatment plants*
potable 'ater net'ork* personnel* access control and security* operating instructions and plans* as
'ell as back-up systems* is provided as an appendi-( ,he publication is available in 9innish*
S'edish and &nglish(
In Austria* several guidance documents have been developed 'ith respect to small scale 'ater
supplies( ,hese include a brochure on the operation and maintenance of private 'ells and sources
by the federal state of Carinthia outlining operators7 obligations and ho' they can be fulfilled
A
(
Common causes for drinking-'ater contamination* common structural deficiencies of 'ells* as 'ell
as options for their repair are given( Sal:burg in +ustria has also published a report on their
drinking-'ater campaign conducted in $004* collecting data on the e-isting situation of drinking-
'ater supplies* and providing consulting services for the users of drinking-'ater
G
( In this
document* recommendations of data to be collected on-site* drinking-'ater parameters* analytical
results* aspects affecting drinking-'ater )uality* related measures to address these aspects and
recommendations for consumers are discussed( +nother comprehensive guidance document 'as
published by the +ustrian agency for health and food safety and the +ustrian ministry of health*
family and youth 3B"8956
!
* providing information on different types of 'ells* construction of
$
,he Scottish &-ecutive< Private %ater Supplies< ,echnical "anual* ##?* accessible online at
'''(private'atersupplies(gov(ukFprivateL'aterFfilesF9ull Doc(pdf( +t the site
'''(private'atersupplies(gov(ukFprivateL'ater* further documents can be accessed* such as a sampling manual* forms
and survey templates* information on risk assessment* and summarising information for operators of private 'ells(

&iBa IsomWki* "atti Ralve* +nna-2iisa CivimWki* Cirsti 2ahti 3published by the 9innish &nvironment Institute SDC&6<
Operation and maintenance of small 'ater'orks* /elsinki ##@* accessible online at
http<FF'''(environment(fiFdo'nload(aspPcontentidQ0G0#OlanQen
A
+mt der CWrntner 2andesregierung* 1m'eltlandesrat Ing( Reinhart Rohr* 8esundheitslandesrat 2/ Stv( Dr( Peter
+mbro:y* 2R fJr 2and- und 9orst'irtschaft Dr( 5osef "artin: und 2and'irtschaftskammer CWrnten - PrWsident XR
%alfried %utscher* 29l< Betrieb und %artung von privaten /ausbrunnen und Nuellen* Clagenfurt ##!* accessible online
at http<FF'''(ktn(gv(atF$A#LD&-
G
2and Sal:burg* vertreten durch die +bteilung $? 1m'eltschut:< Uusammenfassender Bericht Jber die +ktion<
Sauberes ,rink'asser< +lles klar* durchgefJhrt vom +mt der Sal:burger 2andesregierung +bteilung $? 1m'eltschut:*
2andeslabor* in Uusammenarbeit mit dem Referat 0F$ 1m'eltmedi:in* published in ##$
!
+8&S Xsterreichische +gentur fJr 8esundheit und &rnWhrungssicherheit 8mb/< ,rink'asser aus /ausbrunnen und
Nuellfassungen( &in Ratgeber fJr private Betreiber* ##@K accessible online at '''(bachner-brunnenbau(atFbachner-
gruppeFbrunnenbauFtrink'asserLausLhausbrunnenLundL)uellfassungen(pdf
$G
Small Scale %ater Supplies in the &uropean Region
private 'ells* repair of e-isting facilities* control and maintenance* drinking-'ater analyses* and the
legislative frame'ork( +ll +ustrian materials are available in 8erman(
German6 has developed a guidance document
?
specifically aiming at the information needs of
local health authorities involved in the surveillance of small scale 'ater supplies( ,his paper
contains information on the statutory basis in 8ermany* responsibilities* 'ater supply 'ith several
sources* surveillance parameters and their relevance* contamination sources in the catchment
area* technical problems of 'ell installations and drinking-'ater installations in buildings* drinking-
'ater treatment* action plans* inventories of individual 'ells* as 'ell as templates for re)uired
forms( ,he document is available in 8erman( 9urthermore* some administrative districts have
published guidance documents in 8erman* particularly for operators of private 'ells and authorities
involved in surveillance
4
(
Documentation on small scale 'ater supplies in areas outside the &uropean Region includes
guidance on preparing a risk management plan for small supplies from Ne4 Bealan3
@
( ,his guide
gives information in &nglish on the components of the plan and on ho' it should be used* as 'ell
as templates for e(g( a flo' chart and 'orksheets of the single components of the 'ater supply(
,he guide should be used in conBunction 'ith the video F DRD on this topic 'hich is also available
from the =e' Uealand "inistry of /ealth* as 'ell as further training DRDs and training tool
materials(
Information material from Bangla3esh
0
includes - as the nature of ha:ards and ha:ardous events
is sufficiently similar - technology generic advice on %SPs for dug 'ells* pond sand filter in rural
'ater supply system* R%/S in rural 'ater supply system* handtube'ells in rural 'ater supply
system* and for several arsenic removal technologies( ,he publications 'ere developed in a
participatory fashion* based on local e-pert opinion* and are available online in &nglish(
,he overvie' sho's that tools* particularly for the application of %SPs in small scale 'ater
supplies* are evolving and that %SPs can be utilised as an important alternative to a compliance-
driven approach( /o'ever* the a'areness of the particular re)uirements of small scale 'ater
supplies needs to be increased to make sure that enabling environments can be created* and
information needs to be made available in national languages(
,he follo'ing section gives e-amples of currently established net'orks* in 'hich activities for the
improvement of the situation are conducted(
?
Bund-2Wnder-+rbeitsgruppe ;Cleinanlagen> 3editor6< &mpfehlungen :ur Yber'achung von Cleinanlagen der
,rink'asserversorgung( 2eitfaden fJr 8esundheitsWmter 3##A6
4
&(g( Der Creisausschuss 8esundheitsamt "ain-,aunus-Creis< Cleinanlagen in der ,rink'asserversorgung(
+nforderungen gemWT ,rink'asserverordnung ##$ 3##?6* accessible at
http<FF'''(mtk(orgFcpsFrdeF-bcrFmtkLinternetFOrtsfesteL,rink'asseranlagen(pdfK Bayerisches 2andesamt fJr 8esundheit
und 2ebensmittelsicherheit< &mpfehlungen des 282( Yber'achung von Cleinanlagen< Roll:ug durch die Staatlichen und
StWdtischen 8esundheitsWmter 3##06* accessible at
http<FF'''(lgl(bayern(deFgesundheitFhygieneFdocFempfehlungenLanlagenL'asserversorgung(pdfK 2andratsamt
Uollernalbkreis* 8esundheitsamt< Info fJr Betreiber von ,rink'asser Cleinanlagen 3##@6* accessible at
http<FF'''(:ollernalbkreis(deFservletFPBFsho'F$A$4$F,%H#InfoH#frH#BetreiberH#vonH#Cleinanlagen
H###@(pdfK Creis Pinneberg< online information on private 'ells 3undated6* accessible at http<FF'''(kreis-
pinneberg(deFpinnebergFDirektL:u-p-00#F,rink'asserFCleinanlagen(html
@
"inistry of /ealth 3%ellington* =e' Uealand6< Small Drinking-'ater Supplies( Preparing a Public /ealth Risk
"anagement Plan* ##!* accessible at http<FF'''(moh(govt(n:Fmoh(nsfF#F9$DB4ABC0G0CA94CC!4#GA###B!0B&F
S9ileFsmalldrinking'atersupplies(pdf
0
I,= International ,raining =et'ork Centre Bangladesh* ##? - ##4* +ccessible at http<FF'''(buet(ac(bdFitnF
$!
Small Scale %ater Supplies in the &uropean Region
Current net4or2 acti5ities
1nder the international %/O activities* the International Small Community %ater Supply =et'ork
A#
'as formed to promote the achievement of substantive and sustainable improvements to the
safety of small scale 'ater supplies* particularly in rural areas* through the shared obBectives of<
Developing internationally recogni:ed guidance
Developing and facilitating access to tools to implement such guidance
Building the evidence base to facilitate advocacy for political support
,he =et'ork is open to anyone 'orking on the topic of small scale 'ater supplies( "embers
typically represent universities* governments and non-government organisations* and 'ork
together to identify common management and technical issues and problems* and find 'orkable
solutions in geographic and cultural conte-t for small scale 'ater supplies( ,here are over G#
countries currently represented in the net'ork( ,he 'orkplan for the =et'ork is built in three
sections< internationally recognised guidance for the management of small community 'ater
supplies* tools to assist in the management of small scale 'ater supplies* and development of the
evidence base for political support(
+mongst the accomplishments of the =et'ork are<
Development of a frame'ork for the management of small scale 'ater supplies based on the
%SP approach
Development of guidance on ho' to use communication to secure and improve human health
Collection of !## training tools in the virtual forum
Collection of AA e-amples of risk communication tools
!# e-amples of risk assessment tools
+ccess to a 2e-icon of technical terms related to small scale 'ater supply systems
Development of draft guidance on ho' to conduct economic analysis for 'ater* sanitation and
hygiene interventions
Development of a global advocacy document
,he +dvising-assistance Programme for &nvironmental Protection in Central and &astern &urope*
the Caucasus and Central +sia of the 8erman 9ederal &nvironment +gency 31B+6 funds
consultation proBects aiming to adopt &1 environmental standards on relevant environmental
issues in cooperation 'ith regional and 8erman partners(
+reas of 'ork concerned 'ith the Programme are< kno'ledge transfer* a'areness raising*
institution building* and preparation of investment proBects( ProBect characteristics are improvement
of the environmental situation* role model* and transboundary benefits(
+t present AG proBects are operational on 'ater issues( &-amples for proBects on drinking-'ater
)uality include<
Nuality assurance of drinking-'ater in Bulgaria
2ocal and sustainable 'aste 'ater management in Cyrgy:stan
A#
http<FF'''('ho(intF'aterLsanitationLhealthFd')Fsc'smLnet'orkFenFinde-(htmlK Contact< sc'smZ'ho(int
9urther information on small scale 'ater supplies can be found at the %/O 'ebsite<
http<FF'''('ho(intF'aterLsanitationLhealthFd')FsmallcommunityFenFinde-(html
$?
Small Scale %ater Supplies in the &uropean Region
+n ad-hoc proBect facilitation mechanism 3+/P9"6 'as established under the Protocol on %ater
and /ealth to promote the coordination of international aid to recipient countries and to enhance
the capacity of recipient countries to access financial resources( ,opics covered under the +/P9"
include amongst others 'ater management plans* education and capacity building* as 'ell as
legislation( ,he +/P9" could represent an important mechanism for the development of
appropriate advocacy mechanisms( &-amples of eligible proBects include preparation of schemes
for improving 'ater supply and sanitation* establishment of systems of surveillance and early-
'arning in relation to 'ater related diseases* preparation of legislation needed to support the
implementation of the Protocol* research* and education and training of professionals and technical
staff(
,hese net'orks provide valuable information and guidance and support proBects to better
understand and improve the situation of small scale 'ater supplies( /o'ever* particularly on a
national and local basis* further action is re)uired to'ards the goal of e-tending the access to safe
drinking-'ater from small supplies* as addressed in the follo'ing section(
$4
Small Scale %ater Supplies in the &uropean Region
Wa6 >or4ar3
In order to improve the situation of small scale 'ater supplies* it is crucial to create an enabling
environment in 'hich decision makers are a'are of the special re)uirements and challenges of
such supplies* and 'here re)uired guidance is provided( +uthorities involved in drinking-'ater
issues need to be attentive to the characteristics* importance and challenges 'ith respect to small
scale 'ater supplies in order to appropriately appreciate their relevance* and promote the
improvement of their situation(
Related activities may include* but are not limited to* the follo'ing aspects<
Relevant policies* programmes and regulations should be developed and adopted* giving due
recognition to the particular needs and challenges faced by small scale 'ater supplies( ,his
includes revie' and potentially re)uired amendment of e-isting legislation and regulations(
&-ternal e-pertise* opportunities for establishment of partnerships amongst suppliers* training*
education and easy to understand guidance documents should be provided for operators of
small scale 'ater supplies* and should also be made available in remote areas( Suppliers
should be provided 'ith the information they re)uire in order to assess their supplies* and to
provide safe 'ater( ,his should specifically include information on risk management
approaches such as %SP* adapted to the particularities of small scale 'ater supplies(
Communication efforts to increase understanding of 'ater and health issues to local and
national media* general practitioners* hospitals* nursing homes* and other elements of the
health system(
Promotion of t'inning arrangements bet'een maBor 'ater services and small scale 'ater
suppliers* in order to increase e-change of kno'ledge and e-pertise(
Implementation and spreading of available information and legislation by conducting and
supporting pilot proBects* taking local conditions into consideration(
Cooperation of authorities involved in order to ensure an efficient approach and information
distribution to all recipients re)uiring it(
+uthorities should consider possibilities to allocate resources for the improvement of small
scale supplies and improvement of outbreak detection* particularly based on the positive
costFbenefit ratio for investment in improving small scale systems(
=on-8overnmental Organisations 3=8Os6 can play an important role in providing safe 'ater and
ade)uate sanitation through local action in rural areas( ,his includes special programmes for
education and a'areness building* particularly at the village level( 9or e-ample* pilot proBects 'ere
conducted by three =8Os in communities across Bangladesh
A$
after %SPs 'ere developed( ,he
proBects included a baseline assessment of the 'ater )uality* sanitary inspections* assessment of
hygiene a'areness and behaviour* and training of caretakers( ,he =8O %omen in &urope for a
Common 9uture 3%&C96 have for e-ample conducted proBects in Romania 'hich also addressed
a'areness raising issues in rural areas* 'ater testing in public 'ells and the issue of agricultural
pollution( ,heir publications include a brochure on developing %SPs involving schools
A
* and one
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"ahmud* S( et al< Development and implementation of 'ater safety plans for small 'ater supplies in Bangladesh<
benefits and lessons leaned* in< I%+ 5ournal of %ater and /ealth 3##46
A
"[ller* D( and Sam'el* "(< Developing %ater Safety Plans involving schools( Introducing ;%ater Safety Plans> for
small-scale 'ater supply systems( "anual for teachers and pupils 3##06
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Small Scale %ater Supplies in the &uropean Region
on lessons learned from the application of %SP in small scale 'ater supplies
AA
( In general*
international and local =8O7s can
Cooperate 'ith local authorities
Involve the community in testing 'ater )uality
+ssist 'ith drinking-'ater analyses issues
Raise a'areness
+ssist local communities in the development of small scale %SP
Catalyse and undertake priority 'ater supply and sanitation action in 3rural6 schools* including
teacher training regarding local %SP
Develop local curricula for hygiene training in schools
+ pro-active approach can reduce potential threats resulting from unsafe 'ater* convert the costs
into benefits* and improve the situation of small scale 'ater supplies* and as a result contribute to
preventing illness and death and associated health costs* particularly for rural populations(
9urthermore* benefits can be achieved in the areas of education* business development* and the
long-term sustainability of small communities can be increased(
+ll references to 'eb pages are current as at +pril #$#(
AA
Sam'el* "* 5orritsma* 9(* Radu* O(< 2essons from %ater Safety Plans for small-scale 'ater supply systems as
developed by schools in Romania 3#$#6
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