Developing a water & sanitation safety plan in a rural community
3rd Edition
This compendium aims to enable communities to develop a WSSP for small-scale water supplies (e.g. dug wells, boreholes, springs and piped centralised water supply systems) as well as to assess the quality of sanitation facilities (e.g. school toilets).
The World Health Organisation (WHO) initiated Water Safety Plans (WSP),
which are considered being part of the WHO drinking water guidelines and EU directives on water intended for human consumption. The WSP addresses the identification of risks, which could affect water safety and human health in every stage of the water supply. The approach of implementing WSP for water supplies serving small communities has been expanded by integrating the sanitation system to a Water and Sanitation Safety Plan (WSSP), as sanitation is another important pillar of public health and closely linked to water. This module introduces the most
important steps and basic elements for developing a community based WSSP.
Part A
Part A introduces the most important steps and basic elements for developing a community based WSSP.
Part B
Part B “Background information for developing a WSSP” provides information on various specialist areas. Topics related to drinking water supply, treatment and distribution, sanitation or wastewater management are described in detail.
Part C
Part C, “How to involve schools,” provides guidance on how to teach school children e.g. about the sensitive area of hygiene. Menstrual health, in particular, is a taboo subject in their lives, and this module is designed to help teachers address this important and sensitive topic.
Part D
The newest part, the so called “plastic compendium”, is intended to sensitise young people to the topic of plastic, the environment and health and offer them solutions. It is aimed at teachers and people who work with children and young people between the ages of 11 and 16, for example in youth work.
Languages
We provide the WSSP Compendium in English and Bosnian (3rd edition), Albanian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Romanian and Serbian (2nd edition).
Donor
Part A: How to accomplish a water and sanitation safety plan?
Consists of 8 modules, explaining the approach of developing water and sanitation safety plans (WSSP) for small-scale water supplies, and provides basic and practical guidance for developing a WSSP. Two modules focus mainly on WSSP for non-piped water supplies and on small-scale piped distribution systems. Furthermore this part introduces the practical activities in 10 steps to be carried out by a WSSP team and leading to a local WSSP. Several forms for the practical activities, doing risk assessments of the water supply or toilets, doing interviews of different stakeholders and processing the collected information and results as well as examples are provided. The main target groups of part A are local authorities and water operators, but also teachers and NGOs.
Part B: Background information for developing WSSP
Consists of 9 modules, providing technical and regulatory information on for example possible drinking water sources, water treatment and distribution, sanitation and wastewater treatment, water protection and water quality, management of storm water and water related regulations. The main target groups of part B are persons who appreciate more background information on water and sanitation related issues. These can be local authorities and water operators, but also teachers, NGOs and interested citizens.
Part C: How to involve schools?
Consists of 7 modules, and is an additional part, especially for youth and schools. It includes theoretical lessons on general water issues such as the water cycle, and also specific information on school sanitation, water and personal hygiene, including menstrual hygiene management for girls. The development of a WSSP is explained especially in terms of involving pupils and citizens. Exercises and suggestions for practical and interactive actions in combination with the tool box are detailed. Part C targets mainly teachers, but also youth group leaders, NGOs or local authorities.
Part D: Let's stop the plastic flood - join in!
The plastic compendium is intended to sensitise young people to the topic of plastic, the environment and health and offer them solutions. It is aimed at teachers and people who work with children and young people between the ages of 11 and 16, for example in youth work.
This part of the WSSP compendium is based on the WECF plastic tool that we published as part of the Exit Plastic Alliance in the context of the global #BreakFreeFromPlastic campaign. As part of the WSSP project and with the kind support of the Export Initiative Umwelt, we were able to translate the WECF plastic tool into five additional languages.
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WSSP Translations: Albanian, Bosnian, Macedonian, Romanian & Serbian | You find the original versions in English and German here >>
Special chapter: How to reduce and prevent the spread of infectious diseases in schools
The new chapter contains information for students, school principals and education staff as well as for parents or guardians with practical advice on how to reduce and prevent the spread of infectious diseases in schools.
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The third edition of the compendium has been prepared in the framework of the export initiative environmental technologies by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety.