System description and hazard mapping
Define ownership, expected evidence, monitoring and escalation before relying on this control.
World time
Services / COHSEW knowledge
Water Systems
Manage water safety from catchment or source through treatment, distribution and point of use.
Objective
What this area means for safer, healthier and more responsible operations.
WHO promotes preventive water-safety planning supported by health-based targets and independent surveillance. COHSEW helps water suppliers, facilities and product manufacturers identify hazardous events, validate controls, design sampling plans and respond to deviations.
COHSEW principleUse competent, risk-based assurance to prevent harm, verify control and support continual improvement.
Priority controls
Where organisations should focus.
Priorities must be adapted to the organisation, activity, location, affected people and applicable legal requirements.
Microbial, chemical, radiological and physical risks
Define ownership, expected evidence, monitoring and escalation before relying on this control.
Operational monitoring and verification sampling
Define ownership, expected evidence, monitoring and escalation before relying on this control.
Incident response, communication and improvement
Define ownership, expected evidence, monitoring and escalation before relying on this control.
How COHSEW supports you
From risk question to measurable assurance.
Our specialists help organisations select proportionate methods, preserve independence and turn technical evidence into action.
- 01Build a multidisciplinary water-safety team
Agree the scope, accountable owner, evidence and success measures, then review effectiveness over time.
- 02Prioritise risks across the complete system
Agree the scope, accountable owner, evidence and success measures, then review effectiveness over time.
- 03Verify controls with competent sampling and testing
Agree the scope, accountable owner, evidence and success measures, then review effectiveness over time.
Authoritative guidance
Continue with the primary sources.
These external resources informed this page. Always confirm current national law, regulator guidance and contractual requirements for your location.
01World Health Organization
Drinking-water quality guidelines
Open official source ↗02World Health OrganizationWater Safety Plan Manual
Open official source ↗03ISO/IECISO/IEC 17025 laboratory competence
Open official source ↗Information on this page supports awareness and programme design. It is not legal, medical or regulatory advice, does not reproduce the full text of any standard and does not replace competent assessment of your specific circumstances.
Need a programme for Water Systems?