3.9 Research and development (element 9)

Components:

• Investigate studies and research monitoring

• Validation of processes

• Design of equipment

A corporate commitment to conduct and participate in research and development activities on drinking water quality issues is important. Such a commitment helps to ensure continual improvement and the ongoing capability to meet drinking water quality requirements.

Applied research and development may be directed towards:

• increasing the understanding of a water supply system and potential hazards;

• investigating improvements, new processes, emerging water quality issues and new analytical methods;

• validation of operational effectiveness of new products and processes;

• increasing the understanding of the relationship between public health outcomes and water quality.

Research at a local level increases understanding of the specific characteristics of individual water supply systems. Local research could include, for example, detailed analysis of temporal and spatial variations in source water quality parameters. Research and development activities should also investigate mechanisms to improve and optimise plant performance, evaluate treatment processes (including the validation of critical limits and target criteria) and design new equipment. These activities should be carried out under controlled conditions by qualified staff, and all protocols and results should be documented and recorded.

Additionally, participation in research and development activities through partnerships and industry-wide cooperation can be a cost-effective way to address broader issues associated with water quality and treatment, including the development and evaluation of new technologies. Box 3.7 describes an example of a research activity. Opportunities for collaboration and initiation of joint research and development projects should be identified. Partnership organisations may include health and environment agencies, industry associations, other drinking water suppliers, university departments, cooperative research centres and community groups.

Box 3.7

The Melbourne water quality study

The Melbourne water quality study is an example of a large-scale, high-quality research study made possible through the collaboration of several organisations. The study was carried out by university researchers with the involvement of four water utilities, and was funded jointly by the water industry and the health regulator.

The study investigated the effect of microbial water quality on rates of community gastroenteritis in Melbourne by measuring the difference in the levels of illness among two population groups, each comprising approximately 300 households. One group consumed normal tap water and the other consumed water that was filtered and disinfected with ultraviolet radiation.

The principal aim of the study was to determine whether additional treatment of drinking water was necessary for an area served by a disinfected but unfiltered water supply drawn from protected catchments. The study used stringent epidemiological methodology and found no measurable difference in illness rates between the normal tap water group and the filtered water group, thus demonstrating that Melbourne’s unfiltered drinking water does not make a significant contribution to gastroenteritis rates.

This groundbreaking project successfully addressed a water quality issue of international importance by shifting the focus from testing the microbial quality of drinking water to studying the health effects of drinking water. The study was a major undertaking but was completed for less than 1 per cent of the cost of building a water treatment plant.

Information from this research will enable better informed decisions about the management of Melbourne’s water. Furthermore, the study has established a new methodology to assess the health effects of drinking water quality that is being employed in other cities to answer similar questions for different types of water supplies.

Source: Hellard et al. (2001)