Introduction
Water filtration plants are very important to provide safe and clean water for human consumption and thus, these plants should work under certain regulations. Being in a compliance with the national and international laws like SDWA in United States and WHO globally assures high quality of water hence boosting health standards. These regulations establish concentrations that should no longer be found allowed in water, specify how drinking water should be treated and how often and the procedures that must be followed to guarantee that the drinking water meets the necessary safety standards. Moreover, water filtration plants are bound by the environmental protection legislation relating to wastes, chemicals and environmental effects. It is for this reason that there is certification does filtration plants and also the routine checkups which make sure they are still within these standards. Noncompliance with such regulations attracts stiff penalties and denominator to have direct impacts on health of the public, therefore compliance with regulations is paramount in water treatment industry ((AWWA), 2018).
Water quality standards
Water quality standards are important requirements which have been put in place to enable people to get water for drinking, industrial purposes, and recreational purposes that are safe. These guidelines developed by the USTRs or any other bodies like EPA, WHO, etc. depict the amount of contaminants that is permissible in the air, water and even physical pollutants permitted in a particular environment. Organic content, heavy metal such as lead and arsenic, and factors which include pH and turbidity are some the key parameters. These standards are particularly relevant for water filtration plants that are required to adhere to strict guidelines for safety of water supplies for consumers and thus the utilities are frequently tested and monitored in order to ensure that the levels of specific contaminant do not exceed permissible levels (WHO, 2018).
Water quality standards or standards for drinking water is a crucial factor that affects health since water has pathogens that cause waterborne diseases, chemical substances that cause poisoning and other long-term chronic diseases. The failure to adhere to these standards has some severe repercussions for water filtration plants in form of either fines or shutdowns. Also, effectiveness in meeting the water quality standards contributes to public confidence in water safety thus promoting conformity to proper water filtration, water disinfection, and proper water testing at various water treatment stages.
Compliance regulations
These regulations in the water filtration deal with the law on the aspect of water safety and environmental law which are legal compliance requirements for the water filtration plants. These are set by authoritative bodies including; the U. S Environmental Protection Agency – EPA and the World Health Organization – WHO. They prescribed allowed concentrations and quantities of pollutants, operation methods, and the general treatment process. There are several aspects that compliance regulations involve, which include frequency of water testing, use of chemicals, dumping and even the maintenance of equipment’s. Water filtration plants also need to have contingency and mitigation measures to contain contamination related violations or breakdown of equipment’s which pose a threat to health of the people (EPA, 2020).
Negligence of these compliance standards may attract severe consequences such as penalty in form of fines, facing of legal processes, and even closure of the facility. Such laws are in place to be followed consequently, and water filtration plants undergo frequent inspections and audits to check whether they are in compliance with the laws. The environmental aspect also plays a big role in the extent that compliance has to be followed in the production process and in elimination of wastes affecting the environment, especially from the water treatment plant. When implementing the compliance regulations, water filtration facilities ensure that they are operating legally and safely and can, therefore, prove that their aim is to offer clean water to the public while safeguarding the people’s health.
Filtration plant certification
Certification of filtration plants is a legal procedure through which it is determined as to whether the water treatment plant conforms to the standard and acts according to the laid down rules. There are always provisions for a given certification to be provided by the government authority or any accredited accreditation authorities such as the EPA in the United States or any health department. For water filtration plants to gain certification, there are several checks that are conducted they include water sample test, examination of treatment methods, equipment checks and checking competency of the employees. Certification can be a one-time approval and repeated checks to the company’s activities to guarantee the fulfillment of requirements constantly. It also helps in making sure that the existing filtration plants possess all the essential standards to provide clean, safe and good quality water to the consumers (WEF, 2021).
A certified water filtration plant is a way to prove that the plant to function at is highest standards both for the company and for the people. Certification increases confidence to consumers, business entities and government in the quality and treatment of water they use or supply to the market. Apart from the disclosure of public health, the certification assists the filtration plants to escape the legal problems, fines, and even loss of reputation. On the same note, retention of the certification entails the water filtration plants to embrace new technologies and the best practices, hence enhancing their ability to treat water as well as embracing a sustainable environment.
Safe Drinking Water Act
Another major act of the United States legislation is Safe Drinking Water Act that was passed in 1974 in a bid to ensure that the quality of drinking water taking into consideration the health of the American people. PASSED by congress in 1974 and implemented by the U. S Environmental Protection agency EPA, this act provides standards for drinking water and monitors water suppliers. These standards define the permitted levels of microorganisms, chemicals and heavy metals in the drinking water supply. The SDWA also requires monitoring and testing to confirm that water treatment plants conform to these safety conditions and it has provision for remedy in case of violation (IWA, 2020).
The Safe Drinking Water Act not only serves to protect public health but also paying hefty attention towards the protection of water supplies. It calls for assessment and monitoring of the possible contamination hazards such as low flows, nature, industrially derived threats, and agricultural drainages. Subsequent changes to SDWA have made it sturdier with provisions that enhance provision of protection against newer and more complex contaminants while enhancing the development of water treatment technologies. In this way, the SDWA assists in delivery of secure and sound drinking water by guaranteeing water suppliers adhere to the set safety standards since everyone and every community across the United States benefit from safe drinking water. Violations of the provisions of the SDWA are subjected to stiff legal and financial consequences by the law on water suppliers (USGS, 2022).
Environmental protection laws
Environmental laws are crucial in managing water filtration plants and especially the water resource so as to sustain them. Some of them include the laws that are set by the national governments and international organizations aiming at reducing the effect of water treatment processes on the environment. In the U. S., legislations including the Clean Water Act (CWA) coexist with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) to coordinate pollution, quality of water and management of wastewater discharge from filtration plants. These laws mandate that outlines procedures for management, storage and use of chemicals which affect the emissions and pollutants which are hazardous to the natural environment.
Breaches of such rules may attract penalties in form of fines or legal lawsuits besides damaging organizational reputation. Some practicable ways to environmental management of water filtration plants include a positive approach that can be used to protect the natural water sources and hence preserving the biodiversity to allow for safer and cleaner environment in the future while still in compliance with the plant standards (Group, 2019).
Water treatment guidelines
Water treatment guidelines are useful guidelines set with the aim of helping filtration plants deliver water that has gone through a rigorous process of purification hence safe for human consumption. These are set by the law and may be laid down by a single body or several bodies such as the U. S Environmental Protection Agency, the World Health Organization as well as local health departments. They state the standards of the contaminants, prescribe the treatments, and assign frequency for testing and monitoring of the public and private systems of water supply. They include stages such as filtration and chemical disinfection as well as microbial control and they help in confirming that all procedures for the removal of toxic pollutant such as bacteria, heavy metals and chemicals from the drinking water have been complied with (CDC, 2020).
Adherence to EPA’s recommended water treatment practices is very important as it helps to meet the national and international set requirements and help in providing high quality and safe water supplies. Such guidelines assist water treatment plants to follow standard procedures, tests for pathogens, maintaining pH value and concentration of disinfecting chemical such as chlorine. Thus, by forming such guidelines, water filtration plants can minimize the risks of contamination; in turn, this will decrease the incidences of health problems associated with unsafe water supply; in addition, the efficiency of water treatment plants will be enhanced. Fresh guidelines which are normally updated frequently due to research findings and technological changes make it possible to combat emerging challenges in water treatment and provide the communities with safe water (EEA, 2021).
Conclusion
Therefore, water treatment guidelines act as the key features facilitating the provision of clean and quality drinking water in the globe. These guidelines provide criteria that every water filtration plant needs to follow in regard to contamination levels, treatment processes and operations, which allows for the delivery of clean water to the entire population. Adherence to these guidelines helps in avoiding cases of waterborne diseases, as well as exposure to hazardous chemicals besides promoting sound water treatment practices that are sustainable. Therefore, adherence to these set new guidelines will still be paramount in addressing new technologies and advancements in knowledge to help meet new emerging challenges and protect water resources for the future generations (Foundation, 2021).