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Technical affairs
Water quality
The Bureau has an obligation under Law (2) of 1998, as amended, to ensure the continued availability of potable water by requiring licensed operators to:
  • Ensure the water in mains pipelines is not contaminated and is of potable quality.
  • Take prescribed steps to monitor and record quality of water at the time of supply.
  • Ensure that water is not supplied to premises until the quality of the water has been established
  • Comply with analysis of sample requirements
In exercising its general duties and functions the Bureau has issued regulations (water quality regulation, Incident reporting and investigation regulations), set standards, and established sampling requirements. In addition, it established monitoring tools for recording water quality results and carries out audits on the quality management systems adopted by the licensees.

The Bureau ensures that the Water Transmission Code which establishes the terms of communication and procedures that regulate the relationship between the licensees and TRANSCO is being complied with in case of water quality contraventions. Contingency plans were developed by network companies (AADC, ADDC, and TRANSCO) to enable them to take predetermined measures to manage any possible risk to water quality.

Water Quality Regulations

The Bureau issued the Water Quality Regulations (WQR) on 24 January 2000, after consultation with a range of stakeholders. Since then, two further amendments to the Regulations have been made, concerning water quality maximum permissible limits and parameters that are likely to be present in the water.

The WQR consists of the following parts:

1. Introduction along with definitions of the terms used in the WQR.

2. Wholesomeness

3. Relaxation of requirements

4. Monitoring of Water Supplies

5. Records and Information (annex schedule I and schedule II)

Schedule 1: lists 68 physical, chemical and bacteriological parameters which are based mainly on WHO Water Quality Guidelines. Each licensed company is required to conduct a set of tests assigned according to its activity.

Schedule 2: provides the frequency of sampling required to be conducted per annum by each of the licensed operators according to the their licensed activity.

The Bureau issues guidelines on the compliance with water sampling arrangements to the companies and matters arising from the companies’ quarterly reports. It also notifies the relevant licensed operators of any significant change in the water quality.

Assessment and Compliance

Assessment is based on reports received from licence holders according to the relevant schedules in the Water Quality Regulations. An assessment report on each company’s performance is issued annually. This is based on the information provided by the companies and the quality of the water supplied, in addition to the compliance with sampling and other statutory requirements.

Initial Entries

To comply with the provision of information section in Part 5 of the Regulations, all licensees have to submit a range of information to the Bureau. This information details zones for distribution companies, transmission pumping stations, desalination plants, including well fields for water producers.

Revisions

The Bureau first issued the WQR in 2000, and has revised them in 2002, 2004 and most recently in 2009. This is to keep up to date with the recent WHO guidelines, local regulations and standards.

  The Water Quality Regulations (Revision 2)
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