The importance of the drinking water system from the source to the user in terms of safety and public health, the example of Adiyaman

Water is the main source of vital activity on earth. The ability of living beings to have access to clean drinking and potable water in proportion to their needs is a basic condition for the continuity of a healthy life. As a result of people's intense activities for a more comfortable life, industrialization, global warming, and intense use of chemicals and pesticides threaten drinking and potable water. Public institutions carry out various activities in order to prevent pollution of water resources and tanks. As a result of this study, it was determined whether these activities were sufficient or not. The aim is to protect the sources and reservoirs of drinking and potable water, ensure its safety, and deliver it to the final consumption point without being microbiological contaminated or chemically exposed to any external agents. In this study, it is aimed to detect hazards and risks by using the Drinking Water Safety Plan developed by the World Health Organization in Adıyaman Central District drinking and utility water sources and water tanks, and by performing risk analysis with occupational health and safety approach in water systems. Monitoring points were established based on the amount of water consumption with the Environmental Health Unit of the Provincial Health Directorate. Samples were taken from monitoring points during the study process. Changes in water quality were examined by microbiological, physical and chemical analyses. In the risk analyzes of the water system; the existence of hazards that may adversely affect human health in sources, tanks and networks has been detected. Based on the amount of water consumption, 12 monitoring points representing the Central District of Adıyaman have been established with the Environmental Health Unit of the Provincial Directorate of Health. 832 control monitoring samples and 38 audit monitoring samples were taken from the monitoring points in the 2021-2023 years when the study was conducted. 5348 residual chlorine measurements were made from the monitoring points. In the control monitoring analyzes of the study, microbiological non-conformity was detected in 114 samples and physical turbidity non-conformity was detected in 1 sample. Microbiological and physical turbidity and microbiological non-conformity were detected together in 8 of the audit monitoring analyzes. In addition, as a result of the residual chlorine measurement made at the monitoring points, free chlorine below 0.2 ppm was detected in 61 measurements. The free chlorine non-conformity rate is 1.14%. Despite 0.5 ppm residual chlorination in water tanks, free chlorine could not be detected at all monitoring points from time to time; The non-conformity in the control and audit monitoring samples coincides with the use of asbestos pipes in water networks and security gaps in the system. Asbestos pipes used in the transmission line and networks must be replaced and security gaps identified in the risk analysis must be eliminated. The Drinking Water Security Plan of the study is intended to guide local governments in terms of the safety of the drinking and utility water system.