A Hazard Assessment Method for Waterworks Systems Operating in Self-Government Units

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health 2019-03, Vol.16 (5), p.767
• Main Authors: Rak, Janusz R, Tchórzewska-Cieślak, Barbara, Pietrucha-Urbanik, Katarzyna
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cities; Construction; Consumption; Environmental Exposure; Event-related potentials; Guidelines; Humans; International standards; Management of crises; Methods; Public Health; Quality assessment; Risk Assessment; Safety Management - methods; Security Measures; Water conveyance; Water quality; Water quality assessments; Water quality standards; Water shortages; Water supply; Water Supply - economics; Water Supply - standards; Water supply systems; Water treatment; Water utilities; Waterworks
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16050767

Informing users of waterworks systems about the quality of tap water is an obligatory trend. It should be accompanied by studies on the influence of the risk of threats on public health. Waterworks systems, being included in a critical infrastructure of the city, should be subject to special protection in this respect. In the paper, the authors' method of assessing threats to people and property from waterworks systems functioning in self-government units (SGUs), is proposed. Four categories of factors affecting the risk of threat to tap water consumers were assumed: the frequency or the probability of exposure- , financial losses- , damages to peoples' health- , the degree of the security- . Based on this, a four-parametric risk matrix was developed. It was assumed that risk is a function of the parameters mentioned above: = ( , , , ). For every parameter the five-parametric weight scale was assumed. An example of applying the method is presented. The proposed method should be an important element of water safety plans. It can also be adopted for other municipal systems subject to SGU.