Utilities are responsible for safeguarding water safety. They continuously seek ways to identify and prioritise hazards and risks in order to take appropriate measures. Watershare tools can help at several stages in the Water Safety Planning cycle. Of course, many chemical and microbial threats are already known, and are typically included in mandatory monitoring schemes. But apart from these, utilities are confronted with new pathogens and 'contaminants of emerging concern'. These new substances are not (yet) fully understood and have no defined safety thresholds. Watershare is developing new prioritisation and assessment tools to this end. Moreover, the resulting insights may call for innovative treatment concepts.

The Community of Practice (CoP) on Compounds of Emerging Concern will be exchanging knowledge on the detection, sensoring, modelling, risks and treatment options concerning new chemical and microbial pollution. This knowledge will be used for tailored comprehensive Water Safety Plans. The knowledge is based on operational and practical test cases. The ultimate goal is to continue safeguarding the reliability of water, ensuring it is fit-for-purpose and, when needed, improving its quality.