15.07.2021

World Health Organisation recognises Safeswim

The World Health Organisation (WHO) released an update of their ‘Guidelines on Recreational Water Quality’ this week.

The WHO Guidelines were published in 2003, but have been updated to reflect recent advances in water quality management.

The WHO Guidelines are used around the world to provide health-based guidance for setting national water quality standards and Guidelines, including in New Zealand.

The updated guidelines recommend the use of models to provide real time water quality information and use Safeswim as a case study, referring to the well communicated information allowing water users to make informed choices on using recreational waters. This is the sole example of water quality modelling and is great recognition for the Safeswim programme as the only example of water quality modelling included in the Guidelines.