Workshop on Drinking Water Quality Surveillance and Safety, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 12-15 November 2001
Summary
The Workshop on Drinking Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance was conducted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 12 to 15 November 2001 by the World Health Organization Western Pacific Regional Office. The objectives of the workshop were to: 1) review progress made by countries and areas in developing safe water supplies consistent with the 1993 guidelines for drinking water quality (GDWQ); 2) assess the practicability of the 1993 GDWQ and the associated implementation mechanisms in protecting public health; 3) prepare a framework for developing national action plans for overcoming constraints to implementation the 1993 GDWQ; and 4) provide recommendations for: a) the development of a practical protocol to guide countries in deciding what chemical contaminants and health and aesthetic parameters are to be monitored on a priority basis; b) consideration in the ongoing review and updating of the 1993 GDWQ by meetings of global experts; and c) the review and c) the review and updating of the drinking water quality monographs on arsenic, fluorides, and nitrates. The workshop was attended by 24 participants from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong (China), Macao (China), Japan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Viet Nam; two observers from Malaysia and Hong Kong; two WHO consultants; and three WHO staff members, serving as the secretariat.