WHO: Small drinking-water supply guidance

01 April 2024

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Guidelines for drinking-water quality: small water supplies and the associated Sanitary inspection packages recognize that small water supplies need explicit consideration in policies, regulations and supporting programmes.

Small water supplies often experience technical and resourcing challenges that impact their ability to deliver safe and reliable services. These Guidelines, specifically tailored to small water supplies, build on over 60 years of guidance by WHO on drinking-water quality and safety.

They focus on establishing drinking-water quality regulations and standards that are health based and context appropriate; on proactively managing risks through water safety planning and sanitary inspections; and on carrying out independent surveillance.

In addition to Executive Summaries in five languages, plus a launch webinar video and associated materials, WHO have made available two supplementary publications: the Overview (one page) on the Guidelines and Sanitary inspection packages, and Guidelines At-a-Glance, which summarizes the recommendations and key actions.

Explore the resources here.

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