PREVENTION OF MICROBIAL CONTAMINATION

QUESTION

Project Quality Management Plan

In this assignment, you will prepare a project quality management plan based on a template from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Unified Process. The template supplied by the CDC is a user-friendly document that comes with detailed instructions on how to use it. It is all quite self-explanatory. It can be located at http://www2.cdc.gov/cdcup/library/templates/default.htm Scroll down to Quality Management Plan and click on it. It will bring up a nine-page document. Save this to your own computer and give it a unique identifying name. The document can then be modified for your assignment as you work on it, making sure you save and save often. I suggest always saving a backup copy on a memory stick.

Quality Management general topics

When you are studying the course material you will note that there are three separate powerpoints on moodle that deal with quality management (QM). There are also some readings that deal with QM as well. The CDC UP website also has some documents related to quality that are worthwhile reading, such as the project quality management practice guide, located here.

http://www2.cdc.gov/cdcup/library/practices_guides/CDC_UP_Quality_Management_Practices_Guide.pdf.

These should be read before you start this project. Once you understand the general topics concerning QM you can begin working on this assignment.

The specific assignment

You are asked to prepare a Project Quality Management Plan (PQMP) that deals with drinking water and microbial contamination. Water quality is a significant issue the world over and providing clean drinking water is a feature healthcare in all countries depends on. The PQMP you design should deal with all aspects a Public Health unit or Government Environment department would have that deals with drinking water issues, in particular microbiological contamination.

Therefore, what you should be considering in preparing this plan is all quality issues a PH or Environment unit (department) would have when dealing with drinking water meant for the public. This could entail but not be limited to:

Who collects samples?

How samples are collected

Where samples are tested, how often

How is a lab accredited, is it even accredited

What tests are used, why are they used

How is reporting done

Who contacts the public?

When are boil water advisories issued, and by whom

When are boil orders lifted

What criteria do people need to carry out this work, do they have to be accredited, have a certain degree etc.

In general, you should consider that you are working in a government department, and you are tasked with the job of designing a quality system to ensure citizens have good potable drinking water. To do this you need to make sure a quality system is in place to ensure all the things that should be done are being done correctly and documented as such. To accomplish this, you will have to do background research on drinking water testing for microbial contamination. Specific issues such as writing policies, decisions on how testing is done, what quality standards are used, how quality assurance is determined and what quality control tests are used should be included in your plan among other things.

There is some leeway in this assignment and how the PQMP looks in the end will depend on what information you have discovered as you research this topic, but you must adhere to the template given and follow the instructions within it. For instance, within the template, you will notice [blue italicized text in square brackets] this provides instructions to the document author. <blue italicized test in angle brackets> indicates a field that should be replaced with information specific to a particular project. I emphasize using this template not only because it is beneficial to learn about it, but also because it is actually quite easy to work with and when finished is simple to read and understand.

The research

I am expecting students can find a sufficient amount of material to do this assignment by availing themselves of various government documents, and scientific and technical journal articles, notes and bulletins available online or through library holdings. CBU library has an extensive online collection of journal articles and I suggest you check out some of these data search engines such as Science Direct and Academic Search Premier. http://www.cbu.ca/library . One good place to consult is the CBU Public Health library guide (Libguide) to find numerous valuable resources to aid you in your research. http://libguides.cbu.ca/content.php?pid=12435&sid=83292

Below are some good resources, to start you off, that deal with drinking water:

Health Canada: Drinking water

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/water-eau/drink-potab/index-eng.php

Environment Canada: Water Quality

http://www.ec.gc.ca/eau-water/default.asp?lang=En&n=F2F43FC7-1

Canadian Water Quality Association

https://www.cwqa.com/

This site also contains many other useful water websites.

US Environmental Protection Agency: Ground Water and Drinking Water

http://water.epa.gov/drink/

Finished PQMP

Once you have determined the material you will be inserting into the plan you should do so. It is possible some sections in the plan will be quite large, other small, it all depends on how you develop your plan and what you determine needs to go in it. It is best to keep things simple and straightforward. Make sure you fill in all areas including headers, footers, version numbers, dates, etc. The length of the finished plan will be determined again, by how much you put into it. Please work with the font size and type as the template uses. Make sure you include all your references in the appropriate section.

I suggest you do all your research then type out the material you are going to enter your PQMP in a separate MS word file. After you have all this done you can enter your material into your plan template.

ANSWER

Prevention of Microbial contamination of Drinking water Project Quality Management PLAN

Introduction

Purpose of The Project Quality Management Plan

It is a consensus that microbial contamination of drinking water should never be compromised; hence, it is considered a top priority in drinking water management. Failure to supply safe, quality drinking water may lead to water-borne disease outbreaks or sporadic diseases. Water-borne infections are preventable if a holistic and integrated quality management plan is applied. This Project Quality Management Plan (PQMP) aims to ensure that the public is supplied with drinking water free from microbial contamination. It outlines the processes, guidelines, and standards for providing safe and clean drinking water, including information on monitoring, testing, risk assessments, and response related to microbial contamination of drinking water. The plan also covers the entire project’s lifecycle, from source water assessments to treatment, continuous monitoring & evaluation, and communication.

Project Quality Management Overview

Organization, Responsibilities, and Interfaces

Name	Role	Quality Responsibility
Sadia Maqsood	Project Manager	· Planning of project activities, including project timeline and budget. · Resource allocation and budget control · Define the roles and responsibilities of team members. · Oversee the implementation of PQMP and ensure compliance with established regulations · Provides leadership and support for the team, facilitates and coordinates collaboration and communication with stakeholders
Guyo Dureti	Quality Manager	· Develop and implement the PQMP. · Identify and prioritize risks associated with microbial contamination and water quality. · Develop and implement quality control and monitoring processes.
Brandon Serrao	Technical Expert	· Conducts risk assessments, including quantitative risk assessments · Formulates problems by identifying all potential sources of microbial hazards that would adversely affect the public. · Conducts exposure assessments to determine the size, nature, route, amount, and duration of exposure · Conducts dose-response assessments for selected microbial organisms and characterizes the risks. · Estimates risks on the population level by comparing the results from the quantitative risk assessment and performance targets. · Presents the data or outcomes of the risk assessment to the project management team
Sebastian Kiecker	Auditor	· Monitors the implementation of the PQMP · Audits Distribution system operation, integrity and management process, work products, and water treatment processes to ensure compliance with established regulations and guidelines. · Establish project objectives and quality performance measures to ensure the project meets all the required standards. · Performs quality audits and identify improvement areas · Provides feedback and recommendation to the quality manager and project manager for improving the water quality performance
Peter Howe Nnatasha Gonzales Celine Felice Conrad Hughes	Water Quality Technicians	· Participate in the implementation of the PQM. · Report any quality issues to the Quality Manager · Collect water samples and document results · Participating in Project Reviews and auditing.
Danuta Gruszka	Community Member Representative	· Communication and public education- help consumers understand microbial water quality and their role in preserving this quality. · Informs the public of water quality test results, service disruptions, etc. · Promote stakeholder support and engagement in source water protection. · Ensures transparent and active communication of water risks at each stage

Tools, Environment, and Interfaces

Tool	Description
Benchmarking	The team will benchmark project performance against best practices and industry standards.
Risk Assessment Tools	· Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is used to identify possible failure modes and their impact on drinking water quality. · Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) will help identify potential microbial hazards and critical control points in the supply chain.
Sampling and Testing Tools	Standard testing procedures for Escheria. Coli, chemical contaminants, and other quality parameters.
Statistical Process Control Tools	Control charts to monitor drinking water quality parameters. These statistical tools will also enable quantitative microbial risk assessment
Data Management Tools	Geographic information systems will help map the water supply chain and identify any risks emerging from this supply chain.

These tools will measure the following data elements:

Microbial contamination levels, e.g., total E.coli
PH, turbidity, and other parameters
Disinfectant levels
Distribution system performance

Project Quality Management

At the highest of levels Quality Management involves planning, doing, checking, and acting to improve project quality standards. PMI PMBOK breaks the practice of Quality Management into three process groups: Quality Planning (QP), Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC). The following sections define how this project will apply each of these practice groups to define, monitor and control quality standards.

Quality Planning

The following quality standards are relevant to this PQMP:

World Health Organization (WHO) Drinking Water Guidelines: recommends ensuring quality water free from chemical, physical, radiological, and microbial contamination. It also provides the maximum allowable contaminant levels in drinking water. These guidelines will be the basis for this project’s processes, policies, and procedures.
National Drinking Water Regulations provide guidelines in the context of our local environment and socio-cultural and economic conditions. Therefore, this PQMP will incorporate local and national requirements in its strategies and approaches.

The following quality metrics will be used to satisfy the above standards:

Product functionality: The project team will test for disinfectant residuals, pH, turbidity, and microbial contamination levels.
Testing: The team will collect and analyze samples from raw and finished waters to evaluate water quality and safety
Stakeholders will assess and approve project deliverablesto ensure the team meets the specified regulatory requirements and WHO guidelines.
Project management performance:The team will analyze project performance by monitoring appropriate metrics such as schedule adherence, budget variance, and consumer satisfaction.
The regulatory compliance requirements-The team will audit water treatment, distribution systems, water safety plans, and significant incidents to ensure compliance with the specified regulations and guidelines.
Documentation:The team will maintain and manage all documentation, including inspection reports, incident reports, quality control plans, and water safety plans to ensure accuracy and completeness.

Define Project Quality

Customers: This project’s customers are consumers to whom water is supplied. These customers expect their drinking water to be free from pathogens, chemicals, and physical and radiological contaminants. These customers also expect timely delivery of water free from aesthetic issues, e.g., odors, color, and bad taste. Customers expect clear communication on microbial hazards or contamination issues throughout the project. They also expect competitive pricing and responsive customer service.

Acceptance Criteria: Drinking water and customer services satisfy customer expectations regarding quality. Delivery of safe, quality drinking water should be timely and reliable. Customer service and communication should be clear, transparent, and prompt. Pricing should be fair and competitive.

Project: Project expectations involve meeting water quality requirements set by WHO, complying with local regulatory requirements and guidelines, and continuous monitoring & evaluation of the project’s processes, product functionality, and deliverables. The project should also be completed on time and on-budget

Acceptance Criteria: The project is completed within the budget and scheduled time and adheres to industry standards and methodologies,

Organization: The public health department expects to ensure the project aligns with industry regulations and standards and WHO Drinking water quality standards. The department also expects to provide the project team with the necessary resources to meet water quality objectives, including training and financial and non-financial support. Other organizational expectations include:

Strong leadership.
A highly skilled workforce.
Efficient products and processes.
Continuous improvement.
A strong corporate social responsibility.

Acceptance Criteria:

The organization adheres to industry regulations and WHO water quality standards.
The workforce is highly motivated and skilled.
Organizational leadership is strong and characterized by team effectiveness.
The organization has a strong commitment to social responsibility.

Federal regulation: Federal regulations expect the project to comply with all relevant rules and guidelines, including Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations and Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)

Acceptance Criteria: The project complies with federal regulations and standards. The project employs best practices in all its operations, and risk assessments & management planning are established. Reporting to federal regulatory agencies is open, accurate, and transparent.

Quality Standards: This project’s quality standard involves ensuring drinking water is free from microbial, chemical, and physical safety and aesthetic quality issues. Critical success factors (CSF) involve developing and implementing a quality management plan that meets WHO guidelines and national regulations. Other CSFs include monitoring and improving the project’s product functionality and processes and complying with regulatory standards and guidelines related to drinking water.

Metrics: The quality metrics and measures for standards related to quality and microbiologically safe drinking water include

Reduction or removal of water contaminants, measured by the total microbial count per 100 mL of a water sample. PH levels should range between 6.5 and 8.5; turbidity levels should be within 0.5 NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Units), and chlorine levels within 0.2-0.5 mg/L.
The reliability and durability of products and processes to meet local, regional, and federal standards for water quality
Efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the processes or products involved in eliminating or reducing water contaminants. These processes and products must deliver the required water quality level at a reasonable cost with little waste.
Customer satisfaction levels: consumers’ satisfaction with the quality of the drinking water
Number of corrective actions undertaken in response to positive tests results and non-compliance with regulatory standards

The acceptance criteria for product performance and project deliverables include

Compliance with WHO guidelines for Drinking-water Quality and local, regional, or national regulations and standards
Water products and processes achieve the required performance and functionality levels. Product and system functionality continuously meets the needs and expectations of consumers, agencies, authorities, and other stakeholders.
Receiving positive customer reviews and ratings
Water generated by products and processes meet budget and timeline requirements and specific standards defined by WHO and local regulatory standards.

Water quality targets

The following tables outline Guideline values for chemical contaminants (WHO, 2022)

Table 1: Guideline values for chemical contaminants commonly found in water

Table 2: Guideline values for chemical contaminants occassionally found in water

The quality metric for microbial hazards include (Health Canada, 2021):

Risk level of 10^-6 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) per person every year
Percentage log reduction in the number of pathogenic organisms in water.

Measure Project Quality

Project quality will be measured by the following monitoring processes and metrics:

Compliance with the specified guidelines and regulations: The team will periodically collect and test water samples to ensure contaminants meet the maximum allowable levels.
Customer satisfaction: The team will conduct consumer surveys to determine their satisfaction with water quality and customer service
Effectiveness and efficiency of treatment processes and products: The team will regularly monitor distribution systems, processes, and product functionality to ensure they remove contaminants and microbial risks effectively.
Response Timeliness: Water quality technicians will track complaints and promptly respond to address the issues.
Compliance with budget and project schedules: The project manager will monitor the project to ensure it advances according to plan and within budget.

The following metrics and related monitoring processes will be used to measure project quality:

Plan for Measuring Quality

Establish requirements and targets, provide training, and define staff’s roles and responsibilities in measuring quality.
Develop suitable methodologies and commence surveillance in priority areas. Limit verification to important parameters and reference pathogens.
Collect data for water samples, customer satisfaction, and project and budget metrics.
Archive the data safely and ensure it is readily available for analysis and reporting.
The timeframe for quality monitoring will depend on the type of water being measured (e.g., surface or groundwater) and contaminants.

Quality Assurance

Framework for Implementing WHO Guidelines

According to WHO (2022), a framework for safe drinking water is imperative and an essential requirement for quality water. This framework comprises health-based targets, water safety plans, and an independent surveillance system.

Developing Health-based Targets

WHO (2022) indicates that a high-level authority should establish these health-based targets. In line with this recommendation, the technical expert, in collaboration with other agencies, will set health-based targets for microbial contamination.

The technical expert should establish health-based targets for raw water. According to WHO (2022), it is neither feasible nor cost-effective to monitor finished water because microorganisms concentrations equivalent to tolerable risk levels are often less than 1 organism per 104 –105 liters in the finished water.

WHO Guidelines also indicate that developing performance targets for all potential waterborne pathogens is impractical. According to WHO (2022), a more practical approach involves selecting reference pathogens representing different pathogenic groups. Typically, one pathogen will be chosen to represent viruses, bacteria, helminths, and protozoa.

The selection criteria include the following:

Sufficient data on the pathogen is available to allow QMRA to be conducted.
Pathogen occurs in source waters.
The pathogen is persistent in the environment.
Pathogen is sensitive to inactivation or removal by the treatment process.

The technical expert will only establish health-based targets and metrics for the selected reference pathogens. They will use the above criteria to select reference pathogens for microbial water testing.

Water safety plans

Water safety plans (WSP) provide a foundation for process control and system protection to ensure pathogen and chemical concentrations present negligible risks to consumers. WSPs comprise product and process (system) assessments, operational monitoring, documentation, and communication. System assessments are applicable to water distribution systems, piped and non-piped community supplies, and domestic supplies, e.g., boreholes and rainwater.

The auditor and quality assurance officer will validate these system assessments. Scientific data, regulation & legislation data, historical data, and supplier knowledge help to support validation processes. WHO (2022) indicates that professionals should use the WSP to meet health-based targets. Suppose the system does not meet the targets. In that case, an upgrade program or corrective action should be initiated to ensure that the drinking water meets industry standards and achieve the highest water quality. When there is a significant public health risk, the project manager will notify stakeholders and initiate compensatory options such as disinfection or boiling at the point of use.

Operational monitoring

The project manager will conduct operational monitoring in collaboration with the quality assurance officer and water quality technicians. Operational monitoring involves conducting planned measurements and observations of drinking water systems. These professionals will collectively set and monitor control measures and undertake corrective action, e.g., issuing boil water advisories. This team will periodically check the structural integrity of distribution systems and monitor turbidity, chlorine levels, and residual disinfection levels at different points. Structural integrity will be monitored monthly, while disinfectant residuals and turbidity levels will be monitored daily (WHO, 2022). The goal is to monitor control measures with a logical sampling plan to prevent delivering unsafe water to consumers. If monitoring shows that processes and product functionality do not meet specifications, then there is a possibility the water is unsafe. Corrective measures should then be undertaken.

Verification and validation must also be conducted to confirm the water’s quality and ascertain that the supply chain is operating properly. Verification typically involves the absence/presence testing of chemicals and fecal indicator organisms. WHO (2022) recommends testing for Escherichia coli to indicate microbial water quality or fecal contamination. Testing for more resistant bacterial spores or bacteriophages should also be considered since protozoa and enteric viruses are typically resistant to disinfection processes. According to Health Canada (2021), QMRAs will support health-based target goals for enteric protozoa and viruses. QMRA employs mathematical modeling to calculate the risk from pathogenic microorganisms in source waters.

Verifying chemical safety involves testing for chemicals of interest at the end of the water treatment. Analyzing source waters will be done yearly, but groundwater will require more frequent samples (WHO, 2022).

Analyze Project Quality

Surveillance will help identify areas of improvement and remove any performance gaps. Surveillance involves continuously assessing drinking water’s acceptability and safety. Surveillance encompasses auditing, independent assessment of water supplies, and documentation and reporting. Auditing involves conducting routine reviews of WSPs, incidents, verification programs, and operational parameters.

An essential component of a surveillance program is reporting results to stakeholders, including local authorities, water suppliers, consumers, and public health officials. The Community member representative must provide summary information to consumers through the Internet or annual reports. Disseminating surveillance information will ensure the public knows about water safety and quality. Community member representative is also responsible for developing dissemination strategies and explaining to the public the significance of the results. This representative should also consider establishing consumer associations at the local or national level to draw local knowledge and experiences and provide feedback and water quality information to entire communities.

Improve Project Quality

The following strategies will help improve efficiency and reduce unsatisfactory performance:

Reduce wastes generated by treatment products and processes. Increase efficiency by streamlining processes and reducing overproduction, defects, unnecessary processing, and excess inventory.
Automate time-consuming processes to increase efficiency and free up resources
Streamline communication processes to reduce delays, communication errors, and misunderstandings.
Ensure all decisions are data-driven to reduce errors and optimize resource utilization.
Training and development will equip team members with the necessary skills to effectively perform their jobs and be updated on current best practices and industry technology.
The project manager should establish performance expectations and regularly review performance to identify opportunities for improvement. Offering feedback and training opportunities will help improve performance.

Quality Control

The following actions will be undertaken to ensure quality control:

Inspection of products, processes, and deliverables to ensure they meet quality standards
Water sample testing will be done ensure water safety and quality
Audits will be done to ensure procedures, processes, and products comply with quality standards and regulations
Corrective actions, including issuing boil water advisories, will be undertaken to resolve any water quality issues
Documentation control will entail standardizing and controlling project plans, design documents, WSP and test plans to ensure conformance to industry standards.

Appendix A: Project Quality Management Plan Approval

The undersigned acknowledge they have reviewed the <Project Name> Project Quality Management Plan and agree with the approach it presents. Changes to this Project Quality Management Plan will be coordinated with and approved by the undersigned or their designated representatives.

Signature:		Date:	20^th April 2023
Print Name:	Brian Davidson
Title:	Mr.
Role:	Project Sponsor

Signature:		Date:	20^th April 2023
Print Name:	Sadia Maqsood
Title:	Ms.
Role:	Project Manager

Signature:		Date:	20^th April 2023
Print Name:	Sebastian Kiecker
Title:	Mr.
Role:	Auditor

Appendix B: References

The following table summarizes the documents referenced in this document.

Document Name and Version

Description

Location

Guidelines for Drinking‑water Quality Fourth edition (2017

The document provides guidelines for ensuring safe and quality drinking water.

https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/254637/9789241549950-eng.pdf

Overview of the Microbiological Aspects of Drinking Water Quality

This technical document provides guidance on how to ensure water is free from microbiological safety.

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/environmental-workplace-health/reports-publications/water-quality/guidance-document-overview-microbiological-aspects-drinking-water-quality.html

Appendix C: Key Terms

The following table provides definitions for terms relevant to this document.

Term	Definition
Product functionality	Product functionality refers to a product’s or system’s ability to meet industry requirements and specifications for driving clean water. It might enail product’s ability to reduce contaminants and reguklate flow raters, disinfection levels, and water pressure.
Acceptance Criteria	Specific requirements that must be met to satisfy for drinking water to be deemed acceptable for public consumption.
quantitative microbial risk assessment	A mathematical model used to estimate microbial risks in drinking water