12.1  Inspection procedures

In Study Session 8, on Water Safety Plans, you learned how important it was to identify the hazards in a water supply system and to carry out a risk assessment so that control measures could be put in place to protect water quality. In this study session you focus on sanitary inspections as a means of identifying the hazards at a water source. Doing this at source is the most effective way of safeguarding consumers. A sanitary inspection (in this context) is a survey of the surroundings of a water source to identify possible health hazards and sources of pollution. Unlike in the development of a Water Safety Plan, sanitary inspections can be undertaken by individuals, often called sanitary technicians, who consider the water source, the sources of contaminants, and water handling by household members. Information is gathered by observation and by making enquiries of the residents and household members living near to the water sources. Sanitary inspections, sometimes referred to as ‘sanitary surveys’, play a vital part in preventing contamination of water supply systems.

One factor to consider is the time of year. The season will affect the quality of water sources. For instance, during the rainy season, rainwater run-off is likely to carry pollutants such as faecal matter from the surface of the ground into rivers. The pollutants may also be carried into groundwater by water percolating into the ground and thus lead to contamination of well and spring waters.