Subregional workshop on improving small-scale water supplies for better health in European Union countries. Meeting report (2018)

In June 2018 a subregional workshop for European Union (EU) countries was organized in Dessau, Germany, by the German Environment Agency and the WHO Regional Office for Europe. Representatives of the national water and health sectors from Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Romania and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland came together to review their situations, share experiences and discuss challenges related to small-scale water supplies. In presentations and group work the main topics discussed were best practices to improve the situation of small-scale supplies (such as web-based tools, sanitary inspection forms and qualification programmes), surveillance and water safety plans in small-scale supplies and providing support for private wells. The workshop ended by defining future actions on guidelines, regulations and cooperation to further improve the situation of small-scale water supplies in the EU.