Water Services National Training Group Best Practice in the Management of Drinking Water Cait Gleeson Senior Executive Scientist Limerick County Council

Drinking Water Quality Old System New System Moving from a system that worked to one that is a high-tech fully controlled system delivering a high quality product.

Drinking Water Quality We are developing control so that when a ‘orange light goes off’ we can respond before the problem manifests itself in the final product.

Our New World European Communities (Drinking Water ) (No 2) Regulations 2007  Water Quality Standards and new quality limits with staggered deadlines  EPA enforcement role over Local Authorities  Indictable offences  Local Authority enforcement role over Group Water Schemes  Monitoring Programmes

Regulations & Guidance Available European Communities (Quality of Surface Water Intended for the Abstraction of Drinking Waters) Regulations 1989 European Communities (Drinking Water) (No 2) Regulations 2007 Fluoridation of Water supplies Regulations 2007 Water Services Act 2007

Regulations & Guidance Available Health & Safety Regulations Nitrates Regulations 2005 Water Pollution Acts 1977 & 1990

Regulations & Guidance Available EC Drinking Water Regulations 2000, A Handbook on implementation for Local Authorities Guidance on Regulations 9 & 10 of the EC (DW) (No2) Regulations 2007 Annual Reporting of Monitoring Results to the EPA

Regulations & Guidance Available Guidance for Local Authorities on the Development of a Remedial Action List for public water supplies Guidance on risk screening for Local Authorities Code of Practice on Fluoridation of Drinking Water 2007

Regulations & Guidance Available EPA Drinking Water Guidance Circular: Disinfection of Water Supplies EPA Advice on Lead Connections

Regulations & Guidance Available EPA Water Treatment Suite of Manuals WHO Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality Drinking Water Inspectorate - UK

Routine Implementation Sampling programmes  Check Monitoring  Audit Monitoring  Laboratories Local Authorities EPA Public Analyst Private

Mechanics of Implementing the Regulation in the event of a quality failure Failure of a chemical or microbiological parameter  Detect the quality failure  Response Consultation with the HSE Notification of the public  Site specific issues  Wider customer groups Notification of the EPA Return water to acceptable quality  Incident Close Out and Review

Typical Response – quality failure First 30 minutes  Verify result and sampling location  Notify Area Manager to immediately start an investigation of the treatment plant and distribution system  Contact the HSE and discuss the issue – written request for advice issued.  Decide if the seriousness of the issue merits a meeting with HSE

Typical Response – quality failure. Issue detected HSE Health Determination Notification of public if necessary with advice Action Plan Notify EPA Ongoing consultation and information sharing with HSE & EPA Close out and review

Typical Response – quality failure Action Plan Sampling Programme Pollution Investigation System checks Customer contact - phones, web, etc Significant/Sensitive users Alternative supplies Staff

What Type of failures need to be notified to the EPA Environmental Protection Agency Table A Microbiological Parameters Table B Chemical Parameters If HSE determines the issue is NON TRIVIAL Table C Indicator Parameters

Sanitary Authority Water Supply Zone Water Supply Zone Code Estimated Population Affected Parameter Result [1] [1] Date and Location of Failure Notification under Regulation (please tick)9(1) 10(2)XX Have the HSE been consulted? What advice has been provided by the HSE Likely Cause and Duration of Failure Has this parameter exceeded the Parametric Value in this Supply in the past 12 months (if so give details)? Immediate Action Taken to Inform/Protect Consumers Immediate Corrective Action Taken [1] [1] If the failure was a microbiological failure please indicate the residual chlorine levels at the time.

Limerick County Council Drinking Water Incident Log Sheet Name of SupplyXxx Public Water Supply Supply Code1900PUBxxxx Population ServedXX People Geographical Area covered by the Supply Group Water Schemes Served List of public GWS/ estates not taken in charge

Limerick County Council Drinking Water Incident Log Sheet Sensitive UsersRefer to HSE for advice Significant UsersHospitals, nursing homes, schools, industries, food processing businesses, Outline of TreatmentDescription of treatment process MonitorsChlorine, turbidity, nitrate, ammonia. on- line/off- line, alarmed?

Limerick County Council Drinking Water Incident Log Sheet Features in the Distribution System Reservoirs,booster chlorination, contribution from other PWS Date of Initial Incident Response Plan Action Log Actions agreed with HSE

Typical Response – quality failure Return water to acceptable quality Prove that this is the case Agree that any health concern is over with HSE Review the incident and close out Follow up legal action against polluters if appropriate

L.A. relationship with Group Water Schemes Monitor quality and compliance Ability to serve notices requiring the production of an Action Plan. Licensing – not yet in force We currently have blunt control without a tool for fine control

Changes in 2007/8 in how Local Authorities work Faster Response time to all parametric failures  Initial response time in the event of a Q.F. now aiming for 30 minutes More rigorous response to quality failures  Now investigate EVERY failure  Example a taste incident resulted in 396 tests being carried out on a water supply  Response has lead to a doubling of the throughput in the laboratory alone to date in 2008

Changes in 2007/8 in how Local Authorities work Much more frequent communication with the HSE  Consultation within HSE between PEHO & Director of Public Health or their agents to arrive agree the health advice.

Changes in 2007/8 in how Local Authorities work Upgraded treatment by installation of SCADA Alarmed Chlorine Monitors Alarmed Turbidity Monitors Improved Telemetry Upgrade of treatment plants WRT Safety Issues e.g. Site Security

Changes in 2007/8 in how Local Authorities work More focused management  Water Safety Plans  Drinking Water Incident Response Plans  Change of attitude – second best is worse than nothing at all sometimes

Changes in 2007/8 in how Local Authorities work More frequent communication with our customers  How we notify customers in the event of a quality or supply failure  How we provide information to customers on their water supply  How customers can communicate with us Tracking Responding

Changes in 2007/8 in how Local Authorities work Source Protection  Full source protection at both ground water and surface water sources  Rigorous planning controls and pollution controls within the zones

Changes in 2007/8 in how Local Authorities work Use of non traditional staff in source protection Added layer of protection for sources and water supplies New layer of protection is cost neutral Reduces Cryptosporidium monitoring costs Helps focus resources

Change of attitude We are moving from an attitude that ‘there is nothing wrong with the water’ to a commitment to proving that there is nothing wrong with the water and to closing out any non conformances rapidly

The professionally delivered service We are in the business of food production  Issues of safety, cleanliness, raw material protection, product standard, customer protection, HACCP and overall quality control must meet a food production standard

The professionally delivered service Customers receive our product 24 hours a day 7 days a week. We work 9:30 to 5 Monday to Friday This is no longer acceptable

The professionally delivered service Introducing On-call for laboratory staff and process technicians - initially  Cover after hours and weekend emergencies Changed working hours to allow the laboratory achieve the work rate we need and to be able to respond to incidents promptly (cost neutral) Making better use of the resources we have  Caretaker sampling  Volunteer sampler groups ( Co Co staff all grades)  ‘Taxi’ lines

The professionally delivered service Being proactive on quality  Intensive Nitrate Surveys  County wide Lead monitoring  County wide THM monitoring

The professionally delivered service How compliant are we – 90’s% How compliant do we need to be? %? EPA guidance!! 6 Sigma type approach to drinking water production  reduce process variability

The Way We Were

The Way We Are

Acknowledgements Management Team Operational & Maintenance Team Audit Team/Quality Control HSE EPA Customers

Thank you