(NAR) VOL. 25 NO. 3 / JULY - SEPTEMBER 2014
1. RATIONALE
Water is a core element of life. Every human being needs water in order to survive and remain healthy. Because of this need, it is proper to provide everyone with access to clean and safe water. In the Philippines, access to clean and safe water is around 82% as reported in the 2011 Field Health Service Information System (FHSIS) of the Department of Health (DOH). In the same annual FHSIS report, around 21% of the total households have access to improved safe water supply thru Level I water systems, while around 13% of the total households depend on Level II water systems, and almost half of the households (45%) are dependent of Level III water systems.
Despite this high coverage of water supply, a lot of Filipinos are still exposed to unsafe water. The current environmental changes and uncontrolled risks due to human activities and natural events are threats to the safe quality of water. Vulnerability to contamination of water supply systems becomes higher due to extreme weather events brought by global warming and climate change and the occurrence of emergencies and disasters. As a result, outbreaks of waterborne diseases in different parts of the country have occurred in the last ten (10) years as reported in the Field Epidemiology Training Programme Outbreak Investigation Reports of the National Epidemiology Center of the DOH. Prominent incidences were the suspect cholera cases outbreak in the whole province of Catanduanes (2012) with 2,321 cases, typhoid fever outbreak in Tuburan, Cebu (2012) with 480 cases, the diarrhea outbreak in Pangasinan Province (2006) that affected more than 12,000 people, the diarrhea outbreak in Virac, Catanduanes (2005) with nearly 700 cases and the cholera outbreak in Bataraza, Palawan (2005) which victimized more than 1,400 people. Similar outbreaks of water-borne diseases were reported in Maydolong, Eastern Samar (2011) and Sibulan, Negros Oriental (2005). Based on the investigation conducted by the Department of Health on such outbreaks, there were findings of the presence of contamination at different points of the water systems. With the impact of anthropogenic and environmental factors to water quality and waterborne diseases, the DOH, in accordance with its mandate of being primarily responsible for the formulation, planning, implementation and coordination of policies and programs in the field of health, strongly supports the application of a risk management approach, known as water safety plan (WSP), by all water service providers.
The WSP is a management tool that can be applied in all types of water systems to ensure the safe quality of supplied water. The WSP uses a comprehensive risk assessment and risk management approach encompassing all steps in water supply from water source (catchment) to consumer. The traditional approach of monitoring water quality at the tap is found to be ineffective because notification comes too late whenever there is contamination. Consumers have already ingested the water before an action could be made. WSP can address this gap by ensuring that notification will come on time while addressing the risks by appropriate control measures. WSPs objectives are to prevent or minimize contamination of water source, remove contamination thru treatment and prevent re-contamination during storage, distribution and handling of drinking-water.
WSPs are increasingly recognized as a cost-effective, managementoriented, preventive approach to drinking-water safety. Water safety planning has been a key recommendation in the World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality (3rd and 4th edition). There are quantifiable beneficial effects of WSP on water quality and public health as well as on operation of water utilities (Gunnarsdottir, 2012). Other Asian countries (e.g. Vietnam, Laos, China, Singapore, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal) have started adopting water safety plans. In the Philippines, the WSP approach was introduced by the WHO in 2006 and its scale up is currently supported by WHO and AusAID.
With the current issues on global warming, climate change, and natural disasters that impact on water quality and health of the Filipino people, an innovative strategy like water safety plan has to be supported by a policy in order that all drinking-water service providers will exert efforts in coming up with the most effective means of dealing with risks that threaten the safe quality of drinking-water and public health.
II. POLICY STATEMENT
The Department of Health hereby declares the development and implementation of Water Safety Plan by all drinking-water service providers as a national policy for drinking-water quality management.
This policy supports the goals of the following international and local initiatives related to drinking-water supply:
a. Undertake the promotion and preservation of the health of the people and raise the health standards of individuals and communities throughout the Philippines;
III. OBJECTIVES
This Order shall set a national policy to require all drinking-water service providers to develop and implement water safety plan.
Further, this Order shall aim to increase the awareness of stakeholders on WSP approach as a management tool; develop, adopt and implement systems and procedures for WSP; and eventually strengthen the capacity of drinkingwater service providers and partners in the development and implementation of WSP.
IV. SCOPE AND COVERAGE
This Administrative Order, hereafter referred to as ‘this Order’, shall apply to the development and implementation of WSP by all public and private drinkingwater service providers managing or operating the following water supply systems:
Water Supply System Drinking Water Service ProviderLevel 3 Water District (WD)
Rural Waterworks and Sanitation Association (RWSA)
Local Government Unit (LGU)
Barangay Waterworks and Sanitation Association (BWSA)
Special Economic Zone drinking-water service provider
Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) or other concessionaires
Water service cooperative
Homeowners Association/Subdivision Developer
Other recognized drinking-water service provider
RWSA
LGULevel 2 BWSA
Water service cooperative
Other recognized drinking-water service provider
BWSALevel 1 Water service cooperative
Other recognized drinking-water service providerRetail Water System or Refilling Station Retail drinking-water service provider Bulk Water System Bulk water service provider Mobile Water System Mobile drinking-water service provider
V. DEFINITION OF TERMS
For purposes of this Order, the following terms are defined as follows:
A. Drinking-water service provider - any of the following company, agency or institution in-charge of operating a potable water supply system:
B. Local Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Committee (LDWQMC) - an entity formed at the city or municipal level whose mandate is to monitor the safe quality of drinking-water per Code on Sanitation of the Philippines (P.D. 856);
C. Resource center - any accredited institution which can be a repository of WSP materials and can conduct trainings on water safety plan;
D. Special Economic Zone (ECOZONE) - a selected area with highly developed or which have the potential to be developed into agro-industrial, industrial, tourist/recreational, commercial, banking, investment and financial center. An ECOZONE may contain any or all of the following enterprises: Industrial Estates, Export Processing Zones, Free Trade Zones and Tourist/ Recreational Centers. Enterprises in an ECOZONE established by virtue of R.A. 7916 (1995) as amended by R.A. 8748 (1999) are registered and regulated by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA). ECOZONE enterprises formed under the authority of R.A. 7227 (1992) are registered and regulated by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA);
E. Stakeholders - institutions, agencies, or group of people that are influenced by, or may have influence to, the quality of water source and product water;
F. Water safety plan (WSP) - the use of a comprehensive risk assessment and risk management approach that encompasses all steps in water supply from catchment to consumer to consistently ensure the safety of drinking water. The following are WSP associated terms:
G. Water supply operator - the owner of the facilities of a water supply system;
H. Water supply system - a combination of different components of a water system from source to consumer classified as follows:
VI. GENERAL GUIDELINES
A. All drinking-water service providers shall develop water safety plans for their water supply systems within three years after the issuance of this Order and ensure its implementation after its approval;
B. DOH shall develop standards, systems and procedures to guide water supply operators in the development and implementation of WSPs;
C. DOH shall allocate funds to support the WSP program.
VII. SPECIFIC GUIDELINES
To achieve the objectives of this Order, the following strategies shall be carried out:
A. Advocacy, partnership and networking
1. Advocacy
To disseminate information on the requirements of this Order to key stakeholders such as water supply operators, relevant national government agencies, local government units (LGUs), consumers, academe, and development partners, an advocacy and orientation program for WSP shall be developed by the DOH. The program shall also include advocacy on integrating WSP to existing water supply programs as a requirement by lending institutions in borrowing money for water supply systems; and as part of water supply subject curricula in academic institutions.
To promote best practices and lessons learned of WSP implementation, all venues of information sharing through conferences, seminars, and forums at international, national or local levels shall be pursued by DOH with key partners;
2. Partnership
All potential partners for the institutionalization of WSP shall be engaged by DOH. These shall include the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA), the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), National Water Resources Board (NWRB), Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), Local Government Units (LGUs), development partners, professional associations, water industry groups, academic institutions, associations of drinking-water service providers and Non-Government Organizations (NGO), among others; and
3. Networking
A national network on water safety plan involving drinking-water service providers and key partners shall be established by the DOH as a platform for coordination of WSP activities, source of WSP references and a venue for securing technical assistance. To further strengthen the services of the national network, its linkages with local and international institutions shall be established.
B. Capacity building for WSP processes
A program to increase the number and capacity of experts on WSP processes shall be developed by the DOH. This program shall include, among others, training of trainers, mentors and coaches, and training for specific WSP processes at international, national, regional and local levels.
Resource centers at national, regional and local levels shall be accredited by DOH as training institutions to serve as repository of WSP references and tools; training materials; research; information, education and communication (IEC) materials; directory of experts; and provider of training activities for WSP. The academe, training institutions, water utilities, professional association, and association of water services with functions on capacity building can apply to DOH as resource centers.
C. Development of systems and procedures for WSP processes
To ensure the consistent quality of water safety plans as part of regulation, the DOH shall establish standards, systems and procedures for the following:
D. Research and development
A research and development agenda shall be developed and implemented by the DOH to fill information gaps and continually improve the activities for water safety planning.
VIII. INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS
The DOH shall lead all the activities related to WSP development and implementation and shall establish coordination mechanism with concerned agencies, institutions and partners for WSP program.
IX. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
A. Department of Health (DOH) shall
B. DOH Regional Office shall
C. Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) shall
D. Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) shall
E. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) shall
F. Department of Science and Technology (DOST) shall
G. Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) shall
H. National Water Resources Board (NWRB) shall
I. Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) shall
J. Local Government Units (LGUs) shall
K. Non Government Organization (NGO) and Civil Society shall
L. Drinking-water service provider shall
X. REPEALING CLAUSE
All administrative orders, rules and regulations and administrative issuances or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Order are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.
XI. EFFECTIVITY
This Order shall take effect immediately.
Approved by:
(SGD) ENRIQUE T. ONA, MD
Secretary of Health