This document by the Sulabh International Academy of Environmental Sanitation presents the guidelines for water safety plans for rural water supply systems. The revised National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) Guidelines 2009-2012 issued by Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation has shifted the focus from source development and installation of water supply system for providing drinking water supply to rural household to focus on development of village security plan.

Basically it envisages provision of drinking water as a part of the overall water resources management and safety plan. In the above context water safety issues play an important role for sustainable water supply in the rural habitations in the country. The water safety aims at keeping not only surveillance to all unit operations in water supply but also provides guidelines with do’s and don’ts for operation, maintenance, protecting the system from pollution threat, minimization of unaccounted for water, scope of peoples participation and sustainability of the system.     

In the above context, the present document discusses planning and implementation of water safety plan for the following rural water supply systems that are being used to a varying extent by the rural communities in different regions of the country.

• Dug well based rural water supply system;
• Pond based rural water supply system with appropriate treatment and rain water harvesting system through surface storage;
• Bore well based rural water supply system;
• Roof top rain water harvesting system;
• Ground water recharge system;
• Gravity fed water supply systems for rural communities particularly in the hilly areas;
• Arsenic removal systems for ground water based schemes;
• Fluoride removal systems for ground water based schemes;
• Iron removal systems for rural schemes;
• Disinfection systems for rural schemes;
• Pump and tank systems for single village;
• Piped water supply systems with appropriate treatment for multiple villages.

Developing and implementing of water safety plan for all the above systems, through the use of hazard analysis and critical control approach, include, ‐

• Understanding of the system;
• Systematic assessment and prioritization of associated risks;
• Putting appropriate control measures in place to reduce risks to an acceptable level;
• Monitoring of barriers or control measures and verification & validation of the same.

This guideline is prepared with an aim to provide practical guidance to the key stakeholders, project managers, workers and consumers at different levels, for evolving situation specific good practices for planning and implementation of WSP approach within the broad guideline of the water security plan proposed by Government of India.

Download the document here