Applications of Emerging Technologies in the Drinking Water Sector - Waterborne Pathogens: Detection Methods and Applications - page 343

UK under regulatory frameworks has been considered successful because
it has improved the understanding of, and communication about, the issues
involved in water safety through effective self-regulation. 15 Scotland's water
industry also has the same regulatory framework for producing WSPs but
faces a number of different challenges from those in England and Wales,
including the variation in types of supply, the terrain, and the relative imma-
turity of their provider, Scottish Water, 16 which is only 10 years old.
11.2. APPLICATION OF WSPS AND WSF IN THE REST
OF THE WORLD
The situation in other areas of the world will now be considered,
with any major differences between the UK and other regions—in terms
of policy and implementation—highlighted where appropriate.
The UK is considered to have one of the highest standards for drink-
ing water in the world, and it is believed to be at the forefront of the
worldwide water industry. However, the UK's water industry does face a
number of challenges, including, but not limited to, climate change, grow-
ing populations, increased demand for water, and an uncertain economic
future. However, the water sector is reasonably well sheltered from current
economic difficulties, and capital investment is expected to continue to be
around £4 billion per year within the water sector. 1 On a global level, it
was determined in 2008 that 42% of the world's population, around 2.6
billion people, still lacked access to improved sanitation, with 1.8 million
dying every year from diarrheal disease, mainly attributed to unsafe water.
Furthermore, the total amount of those affected by ill-health due to water
quality is very hard to estimate and is likely to be considerably higher. 17
The WHO sets international guidelines on drinking water quality that are
intended to be used as a basis for regulation of water in countries across
the world, but the extent to which they are followed and the state of water
industries and their associated assets and infrastructure availability vary con-
siderably across the world.
In high-income countries, legislation and infrastructure for water qual-
ity have helped to nearly eliminate pathogens in the water supply. However,
despite this continued investment, many of these countries are still prone to
outbreaks of waterborne diseases, often linked to pathogens. For example,
in the United States it has been suggested that waterborne pathogens cause
between 12 and 19.5 million cases of illness per year. 18 The costs of reduc-
ing the threat of disease from waterborne pathogens are also considerable