Uniform Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Protocol.

On the base of the Uniform Protocol on Water Quality Monitoring Order, 2005, the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Government of India constituted a committee to evolve a Uniform Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Protocol with emphasis on water quality and safety. The purpose of this protocol is to describe various elements of laboratory management practices to ensure that the data generated is comparable, scientifically correct and in a form that can be used in implementing interventions to improve water quality. The document besides general protocol for a monitoring programme also includes details on water quality testing laboratory, infrastructure and staff requirements. The protocol on sampling as well analytical methods for the important physical, chemical and microbial parameters have been brought together in a convenient form with emphasis on field techniques. This protocol establishes the setting-up laboratories at State, District and Sub-district level as well as quality control for regular testing and surveillance of drinking water sources. It is also proposed in the protocol to apply water safety plan so as to utilize water quality data for continuously improving water quality.
The protocol consists of seven section completed by eleven Annexes, as follows: I Expert Group; II BIS Specifications (IS-10500:2012) for some of the important parameters; III The Sanitary Inspection Forms; IV List of Parameters to be monitored; V Standard Methods and Chemicals required for parameters; VI Recommended infrastructure requirements for setting up laboratory; VII Recommendations on instruments requirement in laboratories; VIII Recommendations on Glassware requirement; and IX Recommendations on Chemicals requirement.