Evaluating household water treatment options: health-based targets and microbiological performance specifications

This document provides a basis by which to evaluate the microbiological performance of HWT options by: • establishing a series of health-based microbiological performance targets, ranging from an interim target to highly protective, to encourage incremental improvements in water safety; and • providing guidance to inform the development of new HWT testing protocols or supplement existing protocols. It also describes additional factors, including: • those pertaining to national-level technology evaluation or verification programmes; and • justification for use of quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) and performance targets for three classes of pathogens. These microbiological performance targets and testing protocols are intended to inform implementers, protect users and encourage technology development by providing a risk-based framework to assess the performance of HWT interventions. World Health Organization ISBN 978 92 4 154822 9 (NLM classification: WA 675).