Survey Library / Standards: WASH & Health / Drinking Water Quality

World Health Organization (WHO) Drinking-water quality guidelines

Standard Profile
Name	World Health Organization (WHO) Drinking-water quality guidelines
Sector	Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
Creator	World Health Organization (WHO)
What the standard measures	Health protection and behavior practices focusing on water catchment, consumer engagement, policy formulation, risk-based management and surveillance
Priority indicators	Drinking water management Health targets Water safety plans Surveillance Drinking water microbial aspects Drinking water chemical aspects Drinking water radiological aspects Drinking water acceptability aspects Applications of guidelines Indicators are explained in detail within the Guidelines document.
Link to SDGs'	6, 6.1, 6.1.1, 6.2.1, 6.3.1, 6.5.1 SDG indicator definitions are explained in this document.
Key users of the standard'	Water and health regulators Policymakers
How users analyze data'	Analyses are conducted at the national, regional, and global levels for drinking water quality parameters, health-based targets, water safety plans, water resource management, water catchment, user engagement, risk-based management, and the application of guidelines to local and specific circumstances.
How users act on data	Data is used: To provide a basis for the including public health in national or regional drinking-water policies and actions To design reporting systems for comprehensive preventive risk management for health protection focusing on: water catchment, consumer engagement, policy formulation, risk-based management, and surveillance For analyzing best practices and the formulation of sound regulations that are applicable to low-income, middle-income and industrialized countries To generate summaries of the health implications associated with contaminants in drinking water, and the role of risk assessment and risk management in disease prevention and control For guidance on effective options for drinking-water management, hazard identification and risk assessment To monitor Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) progress / other global commitments
How users create reports aligned with the standard	Reporting content depends on requirements set by national authorities and policy makers for water and health. Reporting may be aligned with the Joint Monitoring Program standard as explained in the report: Progress on household drinking water sanitation and hygiene 2000-2017.
Where users submit reports	National committees responsible for SDG monitoring and reporting
Languages in which standard is available	English
Standardized survey template(s)	Standardized surveys specific to the themes below are available here: Drinking-water quality guidelines Water safety planning Drinking-water quality regulation Small water supply management Household
Digitized in Akvo Flow	JMP Core Questions on Household Drinking Water
Excel versions of Standardized surveys	JMP Core Questions on Household Drinking Water
Standardized data visualization dashboards	JMP Household Drinking Water
Standardized Survey Profile Form (SSP)	Coming soon
Date standard was last updated	2017
Current version of standard (# or name)	4th edition
Source	Guidelines for drinking-water quality: fourth edition incorporating the first addendum. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2017. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.