Supervision of the quality of water intended for

Supervision of the quality of water intended for human consumption by State Sanitary Inspection bodies Małgorzata Kedzierska Environmental Hygiene Dept. Chief Sanitary Inspectorate

Directive 98/83/EC of 3 rd November 1998 on the quality of water intended for human consumption (OJ L 330 of 05. 12. 1998) obligated Member States to monitor the quality of water intended for human consumption Art. 7 „Member States shall take all measures necessary to ensure that regular monitoring of the quality of water intended for human consumption is carried out, in order to check that the water available to consumers meets the requirements of this Directive and in particular the parametric values set in Annex 1, parts A, B and C.

art. 12 par. 1 of the Act of 7 th June 2001 on collective water supply and collective waste water disposal (OJ PL of 2006 No. 123, item 858) stipulates that „the quality of water intended for human consumption shall be supervised by bodies of State Sanitary Inspection in accordance with rules set out by provisions on State Sanitary Inspection”

Requirements concerning the quality of water intended for human consumption, including bacteriological, physical, chemical and organoleptic requirements are laid down in the Regulation of the Minister of Health of 29 th March 2007 on the quality of water intended for human consumption (OJ PL of 2007 No. 61, item 417).

Provisions of the Regulation of the Minister of Health are linked only with art. 5 par. 1 A; 12 and 13 of the Act on collective water supply and collective waste water removal and with definitions contained therein. The Regulation does not concern private water intakes (wells), with the exception of water used for commercial or public activities

In accordance with Act on collective water supply and collective waste water removal of 2001 collective water supply shall be performed by water supply and sewage companies, or communal organisational units that do not have legal personality, but perform this kind of activities.

Entities that do not provide collective water supply, in accordance with the definition in the Act on collective water supply and collective waste water disposal, are not obligated to perform internal controls and to apply for derogations in case requirements stipulated in the Regulation of the Minister of Health on the quality of water intended for consumption are not met.

1. 2. Monitoring tests use methods compliant with the methodology characteristics set out in Annex 9 to the Regulation of MH All laboratories performing monitoring tests are obligated to participate in ring tests.

Sources of data for current evaluations of the quality of water intended for human consumption 1. 2. Water supply and sewage companies and water supply network laboratories, and Laboratories working for water supply companies provide state district (poviat) sanitary inspector with access to data necessary to evaluate the quality of water intended for human consumption.

Supervision of the quality of water intended for human consumption includes: 1. Control monitoring which is used for daily supervision of water quality and involves regular testing of water and forwarding information on water quality (to whom? ) 2. Review monitoring which is an extension of the control monitoring and is used to provide information on 26 parametric values necessary to evaluate water quality. Chief Sanitary Inspector acts as the coordinator of water quality monitoring.

Where permissible values are exceeded for parameters defined in the Regulation of the Minister of Health as sensitive parameters, i. e. indicating a direct threat to consumer health, the water supply and sewage company must apply for a derogation. Member States are obligated to report to EU on water quality evaluations, including in particular instances where parameters in this group were exceeded

Competent state district (powiat) or border sanitary inspectorate determines that: 1) water is suitable for consumption, where water meets requirements set out in Annexes 1 – 3 to the Regulation, and parameters set out in p. 2, 4 and 5 in Annex 4 to the Regulation; 2) water is suitable for consumption under conditions of derogation , in cases set out in § 21 par. 1, § 24 par. 2 and § 28 par. 1; 3) water is conditionally suitable for consumption, where requirements stipulated in Annexes 3 and 4 to the Regulation are not met, after considering the risk for health; 4) water is unsuitable for consumption.

Actions taken by a competent state district (powiat) or border sanitary inspector after he has found that water is unsuitable for human consumption issues decisions on the use of water and orders water supply and sewage company to take corrective actions stipulating a deadline for implementation thereof informs respective head of commune (mayor, city president) about actions taken.

Competent state district (powiat) or border sanitary inspector on the basis of reports referred to in § 7 par. 2 of the Regulation of the MH on the quality of water intended for consumption issues periodical water quality evaluations. On the basis of periodical water quality evaluations bodies of State Sanitary Inspection prepare: - area evaluations of water quality - and a consumer health risk assessment

Sanitary – epidemiological stations of the State Sanitary Inspection perform laboratory tests within the framework of sanitary supervision and participate in the integrated laboratory testing system. Integrated laboratory testing system is a uniform approach to laboratory testing performed under the Act on collective water supply and collective sewage removal, and under the Regulation of the Minister of Health on the quality of water intended for human consumption.

Bodies of the State Sanitary Inspection are obligated to supervise water quality testing undertaken as an internal control measure in non-Inspection laboratories, approve and register non-Inspection laboratories that have a documented water testing system used for the purpose of monitoring. State Sanitary Inspection keeps a register of laboratories that want to provide water quality testing services to water producers.

Water quality in food-production undertakings must undergo full review monitoring with particular attention to pesticide levels

Materials and products in contact with water intended for human consumption Materials and products intended to be used in water supply devices, and water treatment products must obtain a positive opinion of a local competent state sanitary inspector prepared on the basis of the documentation and a National Institute of Hygiene certificate.

It is important that no substances used in manufacturing of water treatment and distribution materials, products, devices and installations or impurities associated with such substances or materials remain in water intended for human consumption in concentrations higher than is necessary for the purpose of their use and do not, either directly or indirectly, reduce the protection of human health.

Competent state district (powiat) or border sanitary inspector keeps a register of opinions on materials and products used for water treatment and distribution. Competent state district (powiat) or border sanitary inspector keeps a register of parameters that must be monitored in water supplied to service recipients in connection with materials or products used for water treatment and distribution.

Derogations Where water fails to meet requirements set out in Annex 2 to the Regulation, water supply and sewage removal company applies to the competent state district (powiat) or border sanitary inspector for a derogation.

Each case investigated individually. 1. One may apply for a derogation not more than 3 times, each time for a period not exceeding 3 years 3 x 3 years = 9 years 2. Derogation may be granted upon completion of a procedure laid down in the Regulation following submission of an application containing the following data:

The derogation procedure and the obligation to perform internal controls pertain only to water supply and sewage companies or entities performing economic activity in the field of collective water supply, i. e. holding a license issued by a commune office to perform such activity and registered in the economic activity register.

TF 2006 project benchmarks include: Development of risk management strategy for water-borne diseases, Preparation of a health risk assessment involving in particular occurrence indicators of pathogenic bacteria and parasites in water, Creation of Quality Management System procedures for State Sanitary Inspection’s operations within the framework of sectoral water policy,

Create monitoring and assessment system for biofilm on distribution network materials in line with European Accreditation System requirements, Prepare methodology guidelines for a drinking water quality reporting system, and a drinking and bathing water quality information system for consumers, Create a drinking water quality assurance scheme involving in particular determining chemical parameters in water intended for consumption, in line with Directive 98/83/EC.

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