ISO/TC 224/WG 7 - Crisis management of water utilities

This document provides guidelines for alternative water services (AWS) and alternative wastewater services (AWWS) to temporary settlements for displaced persons e.g. refugee/internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, for drinking, sanitation and hygiene purposes. It addresses AWS and AWWS principles and methods, operational planning and implementation. This document provides guidelines for drinking water supply to temporary settlements, and the disposal of wastewater, by implementation of different methods; it does not deal with the ways of using water inside the temporary settlements. This document deals with drinking water quantity but does not provide methods for quality testing. Water quality test methods are included in the scope of ISO TC 147. The document does make recommendations regarding public safety with respect to the location of distribution and collection points. On-site treatments are not discussed in this document but, depending on circumstances, they can be suitable. In such case, helpful technical guidelines are provided in the bibliography of this document. This document complements ISO 24527, whose scope excludes drinking water supplied to temporary settlements. It also complements other ISO TC 224's documents such as ISO 24518 and ISO/TS 24520. This document is intended to be used by the responsible body for the provision of the water service. It can be used by interested parties such as water utilities, governments and governmental organizations, security bodies, international refugee agencies, related NGOs and relevant industry stakeholders.

This document specifies guidelines for the implementation of continuous monitoring systems for drinking water quality and operational parameters in drinking water distribution networks. It provides guidance for determining the: — effective number of continuous monitoring stations in the drinking water distribution network; — location of monitoring stations in the drinking water distribution network; — types of operational and drinking water quality parameter measuring devices (MDs) that can be installed in a continuous monitoring station; — quality control, maintenance and calibration requirements of the continuous monitoring system. This document excludes guidance on the design, structure, number and type of MDs to be installed in a continuous monitoring system.

This document provides guidelines on alternative drinking water service (ADWS) provision during a crisis. This document addresses: a) ADWS principles and methods; b) ADWS operational planning and implementation. This document is not applicable to: 1) planned water supply interruptions forming part of drinking water utilities' normal operations; NOTE However, many of the principles and methods described can be appropriate in such circumstances. 2) drinking water supplied for the ongoing operation of key establishments and facilities during a crisis, such as hospitals, homes for the aged, schools, reception facilities and vital plants; 3) water supplied for industrial, agricultural or commercial purposes; 4) water supplied to temporary settlements such as refugee camps; 5) the development and implementation of a crisis management system for water service, which is covered by ISO 24518 and ISO/TS 24520.

ISO/TS 24520:2017 provides guidance to water utilities on good practice in technical aspects of crisis management. ISO/TS 24520:2017 is applicable to all water utilities, of whatever size, whether public or private, that wish to review the effectiveness and efficiency of their service activities relating to preparation for, response to and recovery from a crisis.