# 2.3 Benefits of the Framework

Management of drinking water quality through a comprehensive preventive strategy benefits the water industry by providing an overall framework that:

* protects and promotes public health by assuring safe and aesthetically pleasing drinking water for consumers
* enables an in-depth systematic evaluation of water systems, the identification of hazards and the assessment of risks
* provides health-based and aesthetic guideline values including microbial health-based targets to ensure that preventive strategies, such as multiple barriers, for managing water quality risk and protecting public health are robust and reliable
* fosters a holistic approach to, and understanding of, management of drinking water quality
* emphasises prevention and places drinking water quality monitoring in an appropriate verification role
* introduces a common and standard approach throughout the industry, which establishes due diligence and credibility
* supports various agencies and stakeholders to better undertsand and identify their areas of responsibility, which enables a cooperative and coordinated approach
* provides a framework for communication with the public and with employees
* addresses the uncertainties in setting accurate guideline values when insufficient scientific data are available
* identifies future research needs for individual systems and throughout the water industry,\
  and assists the development of improved risk assessment for specific hazards.