Themes
- Water safety planning for climate resilience
- Monitoring and control of drinking water quality and supply systems
- Risk based approaches in drinking water regulation
- Emergency planning and preparation
- New and emerging risks
- Water safety in buildings
- Risk evaluation and management
- Water reclamation and reuse in the context of water and sanitation safety planning
- Water safety in small systems
- Water safety plan auditing and implementation
- Lessons learned on water safety in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

1. Water safety planning for climate resilience
Water suppliers face increasing challenges with the provision of safe and reliable drinking-water services due to an uncertain and changing climate. This thematic area will welcome abstracts that explore these practical challenges, and share frameworks, tools and strategies towards the successful development and implementation of water safety plans as a management instrument for climate resilient water supply.
Theme chair: Rory Moses McKeown
2. Monitoring and control of drinking water quality and supply systems
Abstracts included in this thematic area will discuss online monitoring and laboratory methods. Preference will be given for case studies related to water safety improvement and linkages to water safety planning monitoring and control.
Theme chair: Kizito Masinde
3. Risk based approaches in drinking water regulation
Abstracts in this thematic area should address uptake of risk assessment and/or risk management approaches in national drinking-water quality regulations, including the drivers for regulatory uptake, key principles covered by the regulations, responsibilities of stakeholder as well as experiences with implementation and enforcement, associated costs, and added value from a regulatory perspective.
Theme chairs: Oliver Schmoll and Oliver Loebel
4. Emergency planning and preparation
Abstracts included in this thematic area should discuss experience with development, planning, preparation related with emergency and contingency plans, including action plans to mitigate the results and effects of any emergencies. It will be given preference for case studies related to water safety planning concepts and experience with crisis management. COVID-19 related case studies should be submitted to “Lessons learned in Water Safety due to the COVID-19 pandemic” thematic area.
Theme chairs: Susanne Hyllestad and Niloofar Sadeghi
5. New and emerging risks
Abstracts included in this thematic area should discuss new and/or emergent hazards as also new and/or emergent hazardous events. It will be given preference for case studies related with new and emerging risks managed by risk management approaches.
Theme chair: Ingun Tryland
6. Water safety in buildings
Abstracts included in this thematic area should discuss risk management practices and/or case studies related with ensuring safe water in residential, commercial and/or public buildings. NOTE: Safe practices for returning to buildings linked to the COVID-19 pandemic should be submitted to the “Lessons learned in Water Safety due to the COVID-19 pandemic” thematic area.
Theme chairs: Dai Simazaki and Philip de Souza
7. Risk evaluation and management
Abstracts included in this thematic area should discuss risk evaluation and risk management approaches related with water safety and water safety planning. Case studies are welcome.
Theme chairs: Lena Blom and Fasil Ejigu Eregno
8. Water reclamation and reuse in the context of water and sanitation safety planning
Under many circumstances it is unavoidable to discharge wastewater in the water shed of a drinking water supply system and in some places, it is even necessary because of water shortage. Water reclamation and reuse calls for strict attention in any water safety plan for a water shed where it takes place. In this conference we will not focus on the treatment technologies for water reclamation and reuse, but rather on the effectiveness of treatment, risk assessment and need for control in a water safety plan context.
Theme chair: Stein Wold Østerhus
9. Water safety in small systems
Abstracts included in this thematic area should specifically discuss strategies for implementation, frameworks and methods related with water quality and safety applied to small drinking water systems (as it is defined by WHO’s guidance for WSP in small community water supplies). The theme must be related to water safety planning for small waterworks and supply systems, and not for instance drinking water treatment processes. Case studies describing benefits, challenges for sustainability and lesson learned are welcome.
Theme chairs: Alejando Iriburo and Svein Forberg Liane
10. Water safety plan auditing and implementation
Abstracts for this thematic area should discuss lessons learned, technical/institutional challenges and benefits related to water safety plan implementation including water safety plan auditing. Case studies highlighting the challenges and achievements are welcome.
Theme chair: Asoka Jayartne
11. Lessons learned on water safety in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic
All type of lessons related to managing drinking-water safety during COVID-19 pandemic should be submitted to this thematic area. Abstracts may address broad range of aspects, including, but not limited to, processes and methods, maintaining critical staffing by service providers during lockdown periods and communication with the public. Case studies are welcome.
Theme chair: Birger Wallsten