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All rights reserved. No part of this publication shall be altered in any way without prior
written permission of the National Environment Agency.
Table of Contents
Page No.
Foreword
Acknowledgment
1.0
2.0
2.1
General
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
2.7
Test Methods
3.0
Appendix A
3.1
General
3.2
3.3
11
3.4
11
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Foreword
The quality of drinking water for human consumption is of utmost importance in the
protection of the public health.
Today, Singaporeans enjoy safe piped drinking water.
In order to ensure that such a high standard of the quality of piped drinking water is
maintained, preventive measures such as the preparation and implementation of water
sampling and water safety plans play an important role in the production and supply of
drinking water.
These plans must conform to certain standards and should meet certain requirements so that
there is a consistency in the monitoring, assessment and risk management practices adopted
by the piped drinking water suppliers.
This Code of Practice is prepared based on international guidelines such as those published
by the World Health Organization, and aims to provide guidance to the suppliers of piped
drinking water on the preparation of water sampling and safety plans.
It is issued pursuant to Regulation 4 of the Environmental Public Health (Quality of Piped
Drinking Water) Regulations.
To respond to the changing circumstances and needs, revisions may be made to this Code of
Practice from time to time. National Environment Agency (NEA) will keep the suppliers of
piped drinking water updated so that we can work together in our continuing efforts to ensure
a high standard of public health in Singapore.
Acknowledgement
The National Environment Agency wishes to thank the following members of the Technical
Committee on National Drinking Water Quality Standards for providing valuable advice on
this Code of Practice.
Local members
Prof. Ong Say Leong (Chairman)
Ministry of Health
A/Prof. Hu Jiangyong
Overseas members
Prof. Michael Rouse
Independent consultant, UK
1.0
For the purpose of this Code of Practice, the following definitions and acronyms shall apply:
Drinking water
Piped water for human consumption but does not include piped
water for human consumption that is supplied solely to the Public
Utilities Board.
Hazard
Hazardous event
NEA
Parameter
Risk
Supplier
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
WHO
WHO Guidelines
2.0
2.1
General
A water sampling plan shall consist of a basic water sampling plan, a comprehensive
water sampling plan and a sampling plan for operational monitoring.
2.2
2.3
(b)
The comprehensive water sampling plan shall include all the water quality
parameters specified under the Schedule of the Environmental Public Health
(Quality of Piped Drinking Water) Regulations, except those parameters
mentioned in paragraphs 2.2(a) and 2.4 (a) and (b).
(b)
(c)
(d)
Escherichia coli is considered the most suitable index of faecal contamination. In most
circumstances, populations of thermotolerant coliforms are composed predominantly of Escherichia
coli. As a result, this group is regarded as a less reliable but acceptable index of faecal pollution.
Escherichia coli (or, alternatively, thermotolerant coliforms) is the first organism of choice in
monitoring programmes for verification, including surveillance of drinking water quality. If
necessary, proper confirmatory tests must be carried out.
2.4
(i)
The nature and quality of the source water, and the type of the water
treatment used.
(ii)
(ii)
The type of pesticides that are not used for the control of pests in the
raw water catchment areas.
2.5
(a)
pH, turbidity and chlorine: These parameters shall be tested from the
designated sampling locations more frequently than the parameter Escherichia
coli bacteria mentioned in paragraph 2.2(a).
(b)
(c)
The water supplier may select a frequency of sampling higher than that
mentioned in paragraphs 2.2, 2.3 and 2.4, and may even include parameters
other than those specified in the Schedule of the Environmental Public Health
(Quality of Piped Drinking Water) Regulations, in order to ensure
wholesomeness of the drinking water.
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2.6
2.7
Unless otherwise specified, the locations of the sampling points shall be, so far
as practicable, representative of the drinking water supplied by the water
supplier. To achieve this, the water supplier may designate multiple sampling
points with backflow prevention devices as necessary.
(b)
Test methods
(a)
The test methods proposed in the sampling plan by the water supplier shall be
those approved by a national accreditation body or that which is performed in
accordance to the procedure(s) issued or endorsed by any international
organization or a regulatory body in another country as the Director-General
may allow.
(b)
The accuracy, precision and limit of detection offered by the test method shall
be adequate for which the measurement is to be made.
3.0
3.1
General
(a)
(ii)
(iii)
The methodology and the key steps in developing a water safety plan shall be
in accordance to the Chapter 4 (Water Safety Plans) of the WHO
Guidelines. (For further guidance, the water suppliers can refer to the WHO
document on Water Safety Plans.)
(b)
The key steps that water suppliers should follow are outlined in paragraph (c)
to (j) below.
System assessment
(d)
(e)
Typical areas that should be taken into consideration, but which will
not be limited to, will be as per Table 4.1 (Examples of information
useful in assessing a drinking-water system) of the WHO Guidelines.
(iii)
(iv)
Once the potential hazards, their sources and hazardous events are
identified, the risk associated with each hazard or hazardous event
should be described by identifying the likelihood of occurrence (e.g.
almost certain, likely, moderately likely, unlikely and rare) and
severity of consequences if the hazard occurred (e.g. catastrophic,
major, moderate, minor and insignificant). An example is provided in
Table 4.3 of the WHO Guidelines.
(v)
(g)
Identify control measures, and define monitoring of the control measures (i.e.
what limits define acceptable performance and how these are monitored).
(i)
(ii)
One of the control measures shall involve the use of only those water
treatment chemicals for the production of piped drinking water, which
are certified by the manufacturer, supplier, laboratory or a national or
international authority to have conformed to the required purity.
Establish procedures to verify that the water safety plan is working effectively,
and will meet the drinking water quality standards.
The water supplier shall establish procedures and shall carry out final checks
on the overall safety of the piped drinking water supply chain.
10
Management plans
(i)
(j)
3.3
3.4
The review of the water safety plan shall be carried out by the water safety
team at least once a year. During the review, changes in the circumstances
from the period when water safety plan was last prepared and was last
reviewed if applicable, shall be examined.
(b)
The water safety plan shall be amended to reflect the relevant changes
concerning paragraph 3.2 (c) to (j).
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Appendix A
Parameters for operational monitoring of the quality of piped
drinking water
(The supplier shall review this Appendix during the preparation of the piped water safety plan
and its subsequent reviews, to identify the water quality parameters that should be monitored
as a part of the operational monitoring.)
(a)
Residual disinfectant level, colony counts (or heterotrophic plate count), chloride,
hardness, conductivity, total dissolved solids, total organic carbon, sulphate,
cryptosporidium, legionella bacteria, clostridium perfringens, odour, taste and
indicator/other parameters described within the Chapter 10, Acceptability
aspects of the WHO Guidelines.
(b)
Lead and copper in samples collected from the consumers tap, or water
distribution network if the former is not maintained by the water supplier.
(c)
(d)
(e)
Any other contaminant, which is likely to be present in the piped drinking water at
concentrations that may pose risk to the public health.
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