Member Article

Regulations to carry out inspection, surveillance & health control of water for human consumption through a protocol applied by competent entities.

The protocol for inspection, monitoring and control of water quality for human consumption in rural areas should be adopted.

This protocol and the procedures to be followed are established in the Technical Annex, which is part of the Resolution.

Among these measures are the characteristics, frequencies and number of monitoring and control samples of the quality of water for human consumption supplied in rural areas.

This Resolution applies to the health authorities in charge of inspecting, monitoring, and controlling water quality and to those providing public water utilities in accordance with Article 15 of Law 142 of 1994, who supply water for human consumption in service provision areas (SPAs) in rural areas, regardless of the use made of the water for other economic activities. It also applies to municipalities and districts in accordance with their competence to ensure the efficient provision of public utilities.

The person providing the water service in a rural area must obtain a favorable health authorization from the competent health authority for the purpose of obtaining or renewing the concession of water for human consumption.

The competent health authority shall evaluate the documentation provided and shall take a decision within 30 calendar days from the date of receipt.

Those providing the public water utility in a rural area that supplies water with some level of risk must develop a water quality compliance plan, which will be monitored by the competent health authority.

The competent health authorities must report to SIVICAP the results of the surveillance samples of water quality for human consumption through the current formats defined by the National Health Institute.

Those providing the water service in rural areas shall draw up the Emergency and Contingency Plan.

During the three years following the issuance of this resolution, the inspection, surveillance, and control of the quality of water for human consumption will be carried out over the activities developed by the providers of the water utility in rural areas under their jurisdiction.