SURVEILLANCE OF DRINKING

WATER QUALITY
Quality

Quantity

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 Surveillance of drinking water
quality
• Continuous and vigilant public health
assessment of the safety and acceptability of
drinking-water supplies(WHO-1976)

• It is essentially a health measure to protect the

public from waterborne diseases.
• Identify factors which could pose a health risk in
drinking water

• Evaluate factors which could pose a health risk in

drinking water

• Take both preventive & remedial action

• To meet agreed national standards

 Audit Direct
approach Assessment

Information regarding
system performance

Review records to
ensure data is reliable.

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 When Surveillance required??

 Approval of new sources (Including private owned)

 Approval of water works (construction & operating

procedures)
 Laboratory analysis indicates hazard to health
 On a regular basis
 An outbreak occurs
 Watershed protection (industries coming up in

watershed)
 Quality control in bottled water
Elements of Surveillance Programme
1. Sampling
1. Samples for physical & chemical examination
2. Samples for bacteriological examination
2. Bacteriological surveillance
1. Presumptive Coliform test
• Multiple tube method
• Membrane filtration Technique
2. Detection of faecal Streptococci & Cl. Perfringes
3. Colony count
3. Biological examination
4. Chemical surveillance
 1. Sampling
• Should be done by trained personnel
• Under aseptic precaution (no external contamination)
• In strict accordance with the WHO guidelines for
drinking-water quality or the ICMR Manual of
Standards of Quality for Drinking Water Supplies
•Sample of water for
• Physical & chemical analysis = 2 ltr bottle (non-acidified)
• Bacteriological analysis = 250 ml sterilized bottle
• Metals analysis = 1 ltr (acidified sample)
 Samples for physical & chemical
examination
•Should be collected in clean stoppered glass bottles
technically known as “Winchester Quart bottles”
• Before collecting the sample rinse the bottle well
three times with the water, filling it each time about
1/3 full.
• Then fill it with the sample water, tie the stopper
tightly down, with a piece of cloth over it and seal
the string.
Winchester Quart bottle
 Samples for bacteriological
examination
• Should be collected in clean, sterilized, stoppered
glass bottles made of neutral glass

• Sterile sampling bottles should be obtained from the

laboratory which is to carry out the analysis.
 Samples for bacteriological
examination
• If the water to be sampled contains chlorine, a small
quantity of sodium thiosulphate should be added to
the bottle before sterilization

• After sterilization, stopper and the neck of the bottle

should be protected by a paper or parchment cover.
 Basic types of sources for
sampling
• Water from a tap in a distribution system
• Water from hand pump attached to well
• Water from well
• Water from watercourse (river, lake, reservoirs,
etc)
• Water from container
Collection of the sample from a Tap:
 • When sample is to be taken from a tap

• Which is in regular use, • Which is not in regular use,

• The bottle should be held near the base with

one hand and the stopper and paper cover over
it removed together and held in the fingers.
Collection of the sample from well
Collection of the sample from watercourse
• Samples from rivers and streams should not be
taken too near the bank or too far away from the
point of draw off.
Transport and storage of Samples
• Certain particulars like
– date
– time of collection and dispatch
– source of water
– Name of collector
• Should also be supplied with the sample.
Transport and storage of Samples
• The bacteriological examination of the sample
should be done as soon as possible after collection.

• Where this is not feasible, the sample should be

kept in ice until it is taken for analysis.
 2. Bacteriological surveillance
• Complete bacteriological examination consists of
following tests.
(1)Presumptive Coliform Test
(2)Detection of faecal Streptococci and Cl.
Perfringens
(3)Colony Count
 Coliforms

• Why coliforms?
• Coliforms are abundant in intestine (200-400
billion/day)
• Easily detected by culture
• Survive longer than other pathogens
 Presumptive Coliform Test
(i) Multiple tube method : This test is based on
estimating the most probable number (MPN) of
coliform organisms in 100 ml of water.
• The test is carried out by inoculating measured
quantities of the sample water (0.1, 1.0, 10, 50 ml)
into tubes of McConkey's Lactose Bile Salt Broth
with bromcresol purple as an indicator.
• The tubes are incubated for 48 hours.
• From the number of tubes showing acid and gas, an
estimate of the MPN of coliform organisms in 100
ml of the sample water can be obtained from
statistical tables.
Presumptive Coliform Test
 Presumptive Coliform Test
• This result is known as "presumptive coliform
count", the presumption being each tube showing
fermentation, contains coliform organisms.

• Confirmatory tests : The next step is to confirm the

presence of coliform organisms in each tube
showing a presumptive positive reaction.
 Presumptive Coliform Test
(ii) Membrane filtration technique : In some countries
membrane filter technique is used as a standard
procedure to test for the presence of coliform
organisms.
made of
cellulose
ester
 Presumptive Coliform Test

• It is possible to count the colonies and obtain results

within 20 hours as compared to 72-96 hours required
for the usual multiple tube technique.
 Detection of faecal Streptococci and
Cl. Perfringens
• The presence of faecal streptococci and Cl.
Perfringens provides useful confirmatory evidence
of the faecal pollution of water in doubtful cases.
• Presence of Faecal streptococci is Confirmatory
evidence of recent faecal contamination.
• Cl. Perfringens resist chlorination at normal dose
 Colony Count
• Colony counts on nutrient agar at 37°C and 22°C.
• Colony counts provide an estimate of the general
bacterial purity of water.
• A single count is of little value, but counts from the
same source at frequent intervals may be of
considerable value.
• A sudden increase in the colony count may give the
earliest indication of contamination.
 4. Biological examination
• Water may contain microscopic organisms such as
algae, fungi, yeast, protozoa, rotifers, crustaceans,
minute worms, etc.

• These organisms are collectively, called 'plankton'.

• The plankton organisms produce objectionable

tastes and odours in water.

• They are an index of pollution.

 5. Chemical surveillance
• Greater importance in view of industrial and
agricultural pollutants finding their way into raw
water sources.
• Tests for pH, colour, turbidity, chlorides, ammonia,
chlorine demand and residual chlorine are the basic
tests.
• Complete chemical analysis would also include
analysis for toxic metals, pesticides, persistent
organic chemicals and radioactivity.
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 WHO guideline

• Acceptability aspect
– Physical parameters
– Inorganic constituents
• Microbiological aspect
• Chemical aspect
• Radiological aspect
 Physical parameters

• Turbidity : due to presence of particulate

matter.
• Desirable limit : 5 NTU
• Colour : Due to presence of colored organic
compounds or colored industrial waste
• Acceptable value is up to 15 TCU.
• Taste & odor :
• Temperature :
 Inorganic constituents
• Chloride : std level – 200 mg/l
Max permissible level – 600 mg/l
• Hardness
• pH: acceptable level : 6.5 -8.5
• Sulphates : acceptable level upto 250 g/l
• TDS : acceptable level < 600 mg/l
• Manganese : acceptable level < 0.1 mg/l
• Copper : acceptable level <1 mg/l
• Aluminium : acceptable level <02 mg/l
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 Microbiological aspect
• Bacteriological aspects
• Virological aspects
• Biological aspects

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 Chemical aspect
• Inorganic constituents
– Arsenic, cadmium, chromium, cyanide, lead,
flouride, Mercury, Selenium
• Organic constituents
– PAH – Benzene, Toluene, Xylene

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 Radiological aspect
• Gross alpha activity : 0.5 Bq/l
• Gross beta activity : 1 Bq/l

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 What you learned!!!
• What is surveillance of drinking water quality
• Objective of surveillance
• Surveillance approach
• When surveillance is required
• Elements of surveillance programme
• Standard water quality criteria
Thanks