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- Access to safe drinking water is essential to public health. Hong Kong enjoys
one the safest drinking water supply in the world with the quality complying fully with the
World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality. The Water Supplies
Department (WSD) is committed to providing a safe, clean and reliable water supply to
customers in Hong Kong (HK). Stringent water treatment combined with comprehensive
monitoring control of the treated water quality are essential steps in safeguarding public
health. With effect from 1 January 2007, WSD has monitored the quality of our drinking
water in accordance with the latest edition of WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water
Quality (WHO 2004).
- The preparation of the WHO 2004 involved the participation of over 490
experts from 90 developing and developed countries. Apart from the recommendations of
guideline values for health-related chemical parameters and E. Coli as microbial indicator
for faecal contamination, a major focus in the WHO 2004 is the introduction of a preventive
risk management approach through the development and implementation of a Water Safety
Plan (WSP). The application of a preventive WSP provides an effective and proactive
mechanism to ensure the safety of drinking water for the protection of public health.
- The WSP is based on the multiple-barrier approach and the Hazard Analysis and
Critical Control Points principle to ensure the safety of drinking water supply. The plan
identifies potential hazards and prevents risks of contamination of drinking water from
source to consumers' taps and comprises key components including: system assessment, control
measures, operational monitoring, verification, management plans, documentation and
surveillance.
- In February 2005, a working group consisting of senior professionals from
various operational units in the Department was set up to develop a WSP for WSD. They
assessed systematically possible risks of contamination within the water supply system,
and identified control measures to minimise the risks. Based on WHO recommendations, the
Department of Health and WSD have agreed on the adoption of a set of guideline values for
chemical and bacteriological parameters as the health-based targets for the drinking water
supply in HK.
- The primary objectives of the WSP for the WSD are as follow:
- Prevention of contamination of source waters;
- Reduction or removal of contamination through water treatment processes
to meet water quality targets;
- Prevention of contamination during storage, distribution and handling
of drinking water.
- The development of the WSP for WSD has been completed in December 2006
and the WSP is fully supported by the Advisory Committee on the Quality of Water Supplies.
Implementation of the WSP has commenced in early 2007 to safeguard the quality of treated
water supply which mainly includes the following aspects: protection of the valuable water
resources; maintaining close liaison with key mainland authorities for cross-border
monitoring of Dongjiang water quality; operational monitoring and control of treatment
processes; verifying water quality; setting up contingency plans; and surveillance on
treated water quality in conjunction with the Department of Health.
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