Water Resource Management: Safety Standards and Kuwait Case Study

This report provides a comprehensive overview of water resources, focusing on safety standards and management practices. It begins by examining the World Health Organization's (WHO) guidelines for drinking water quality, emphasizing the importance of community involvement, continuous analysis, and multi-sectorial collaboration to ensure safe water provision. The report highlights microbial, chemical, radiological, and acceptability aspects of water quality, stressing the need for proactive prevention and risk management strategies. Furthermore, the report includes a case study of Kuwait, a country facing severe water scarcity and pollution challenges. It discusses the role of the Environmental Protection Authority of Kuwait (KEPA) in safeguarding water resources and enforcing environmental regulations. The report concludes by underscoring the importance of adhering to WHO guidelines and implementing effective measures to address water-related issues in Kuwait and similar regions. Desklib provides this and many other solved assignments for students.

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WATER RESOURCES
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Water resources
Task 1
According to World Health Organisation (WHO), the community must be involved of what
threshold limits that constitute every aspect of the safety of water systems. The final verdict
commiserating the importance of the resolutions and guideline values ratified for implementation
of local or national is dependent on the cost incurred by each country. Though the procedures
define the quality of water which is suitable in a lifetime intake, the launch of these Strategies, as
well as standard ideals, ought not to be viewed to suggesting that the value of drinking-water
may be sullied towards the proposed threshold. In order to provide safe drinking water which
meets the acceptable limits, more concerted effort should be sustained by setting high standards.
A vital principle in the distribution of funds to upgrading drinking-water safety is that of
increasing enhancement to lasting health-founded goals. While there are policies that are geared
towards combating emerging issues, more focus should be put in having permanent strategies for
quality water by increasing standards involving continuous analysis of more parameters like
taste, smell and appearance (World Health Organization 2011).
The significant and vital rationale to guarantee the protection is having a policy framework for
secure drinking water, encompasses set health goals put in place by an experienced health
specialist, satisfactory and accurately managed structures such as sufficient setup, proper
checking adequate preparation and administration including a structure of self-regulating
scrutiny. A rounded method to the danger valuation and risk controlling of a drinking water
supply improves assurance in security. The great assurance in maintaining quality water systems
that work effectively involves knowing and defining the water cycle from the primary source to

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the client and the threats that are found and how to manage them. It encompasses approaches
aimed at preserving water quality like shortcomings and emergent issues. Due to these
unpredictable climatic patterns that can result in a prolonged dry season and rainfall shortfalls or
floods, there is a need to lay down strategies that will ensure there is sufficient provision of water
throughout the period. Major towns are always faced with problems in supplying clean water to
the ever increasing population thus a clear weather forecasting should be taken into
consideration. In backing of this context for safe drinking water, the procedures offer a series of
supportive data, such as microbial aspects, chemical aspects, radiological aspects and
acceptability aspects. The methods remain applicable across all demographic patterns in a given
area including buildings, individuals and towns with the small and large populace (World Health
Organization 2011).
In the microbial aspects, it encompasses the reductions or complete removal of pathogens that
are brought by multiple sources like absorption water that is contaminated with human waste
containing bacteria, protozoa, worms and viruses. Safety is enhanced if many barricades are put
in place that includes the safeguarding of water sources, appropriate collection and procedure on
a series of treatment phases and management of supply structures to sustain and guard treated
water quality. More emphasis should be on prevention and reduction of pathogens in the water
systems rather than treatment procedures. It is of significant concern as it primarily brings water-
borne diseases if not controlled earlier enough. Thus, there is a necessity to progress a health
base policy for the same. It implores the need for disinfection to avoid water contamination and
is something that must not be compromised (World Health Organization 2011).
There is a considerable effect on the water quality that is associated with the chemical aspects
through the microbial element is the major contributor to many water-borne related

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complications. It is imperative to note that effects related to chemicals always are varied
depending on the characteristic of those chemicals that will cause adverse effects over a long
period. Many chemicals in the water systems rarely pose any adverse effect on a single exposure
but only when there is much unintended adulteration in the water system. Moreover, it has been
seen even in many instances the water becomes unfit for consumption due to taste, scent and
appearance. In circumstances where immediate exposure is unlikely to cause health damage, it is
recommended to find solutions towards examining, analysing and total removal of the risks
rather than installation of high-end machines that only remove and treat water from chemicals.
Some chemicals are essential in water as it improves its value in health like the inclusion of
fluoride to prevent dental caries. The policy guidelines only provide guidelines on the acceptable
limits in terms of chemical concentrations as a requirement for safe drinking water.
Radiological aspects are usually associated with the naturally occurring radiation materials in the
water systems though there is minimal exposure under normal instances, consideration should
also be undertaken. There are no set limits for any radionuclides in the safe water guidelines but
rather the strategy that is put in analysing for alpha and gross –beta radiation activity series in
water where more often the higher levels do not mean to any health danger but to provide for
further investigation on the circumstances leading to the radionuclides. Finally, the acceptance
aspects associated with water quality that include; taste, smell and appearance can be readily
noticed by consumers through their senses and any different character is questionable.
Sometimes consumers may reject water which is safe, and this requires the water providers to
precisely know the tastes and references that their clients need but more importantly to provide
water which is essential to the health of their customers. When there is distinct water from the set
standards, inspection should be initiated to ascertain the cause for the variation.

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There is a need to have a multi-sectorial approach of all stakeholders in the provision of quality,
and this will ensure good correlation in implementing guidelines that have been set by WHO to
provide safe drinking water. Every stakeholder should understand his or her role in the provision
of services that are aimed at water management. Some of the stakeholders involved include;
plumbers, water supply agencies, public health authorities, surveillance and quality control, local
governments, individuals, communities and water vendors. The excellent collaboration of all
stakeholders will in the tail-end lead towards safe water (World Health Organization 2011).
Task 2
Kuwait is one of the countries that has been adversely been affected by climatic changes and
scarcity of the available water resources. This effect has been felt by both humans and no-
humans which all depend on the desalination process to get already insufficient water. One of the
major pollutants that have been associated to the poisonous water in aquifers is the spillage of oil
from the reservoirs which poses a danger to human life and the environment at large. Educating

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the population remains the only solution on safeguarding the water systems which is
recommended by local scientists and the United Nations. Due to these issues the government of
Kuwait established the Environmental Protection Authority of Kuwait in 1995 through law
number 21 which is an independent government organization entirely dedicated to environmental
action, legislation both local and international and providing a policy framework. It serves as the
epicenter of government action in safeguarding the environment. It has been mandated in setting
and application of the general policy in the state in safeguarding the environment and setting
methodical approaches in maintaining the natural resources by providing a long-term
development objectives that include scientific, environmental and proper health standards for
man’s living with the surrounding thus providing balance in the ecosystem (Kuwait
Environmental Protection Agency n.d).
The agency is in collaboration with the environmental police to ensure compliance of the
environmental laws and regulations based on environmental crimes. The laws and legislation are
aimed at safeguarding and sustaining the equilibrium of the environment and its resources;
battling the contamination and its damages, at both immediate and lifelong; prohibiting any party
at all, be it an organization or establishment or conference convener from doing any work in this
area without prior permission and acknowledgement from KEPA; making all industry owners to
follow all laid guidelines by the government to device all the industrial and environmental
preparation of plans for financial, farming, manufacturing, touristic and growth of town to
enhance the level of incomes; ensuring workable growth and conserving the ecosystem; guarding
the health of human beings and other species; and guarding the atmosphere from the hazardous
effects from surrounding countries. The authority has established a website that is aimed at

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providing a bridge of cooperation between the organizations. The agency aims at providing
effective electronic services in adhering to the requirements and desires of everyday life related
to the environment. This is an excellent scientific method, an easy way for students, researchers
and other visitors as it sets the general framework on environmental guidelines in achieving
social interaction in the field of environmental protection. Though the agency has set guidelines
concerning the protection of natural resources like water, major setbacks are usually seen due to
the scarce water available mostly contaminated due to the effluents from the oil industry and
there is need for more effort to be put in making sure that it meets the WHO guidelines on safe
drinking water (Kuwait Environmental Protection Agency n.d).

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References
Kuwait Environmental Protection Agency, n.d . Environmental Public Authority. [Online].
Retrieved from: https://eservices.epa.org.kw/index.php?&language=e, [Accessed on 2 February
2019].
World Health Organization, 2011. Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality. [Online]. Retrieved
from:
https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/44584/*******548151_eng.pdf;jsessionid=C3C
1F4B4DE89F1AAF40E8AFED6E4DBEE?sequence=1, [Accessed on 2 February 2019].