drinking water
Regional Drinking Water Projects and Studies
During a sanitary survey, a trained inspector performs a field inspection of a public water system's facilities, equipment, operation, and maintenance. The inspector reviews water quality test data, and examines and documents any hazardous conditions that may make the water unsafe. It's a process that involves a great deal of data collection and processing, and hence can require considerable time and effort. But in this era of fiscal budget crises and staff cutbacks, states are looking for ways to make all programs more efficient, and sanitary surveys are no exception.
One way to streamline the sanitary survey process is to utilize handheld personal data assistants (PDAs). By using PDAs, inspectors can enter data directly into a program, which downloads information to an office PC and generates a paper report. This process eliminates data entry from paper forms to the central database. It also allows for the generation of more consistent reports.
NEIWPCC is supporting regional and national efforts to develop a PDA program specifically for sanitary surveys. Each state in New England received two units and participated in a workshop with EPA. Working together, a list of survey questions was developed and given to all the states for state-specific modifications. The program was completed in late 2003 and several states are implementing the PDA data collection process in 2004.