New Safety and Quality Standards and Regulations for Drinking Water
New Quality Regulations for Drinking Water
Royal Decree 3/2023 of the Water Health Plan implements new regulations on the safety and quality of drinking water. This measure introduces several control parameters aimed at combating the spread of serious diseases, such as Legionella, as well as intestinal enterococci and other pathogens.
The Royal Decree repeals the previous Royal Decree 140/2003 and is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda (specifically Goal 6: clean water and sanitation).
The new regulations establish more stringent control over water catchment areas, supply systems, and internal installations. Buildings identified as priorities under the Royal Decree must define specific control and prevention strategies.
Which Buildings Are Prioritized?
Prioritized buildings are large facilities or premises—not private residences—with a high number of users and potential exposure to water-related risks, particularly large public-use premises.
Table of Prioritized Buildings
| Starting from: | |
| Hospitals and Clinics | 200 beds, and those with intensive care units |
| Nursing Homes or Other Residences | 200 beds |
| Hotels, Aparthotels, Tourist Buildings, and Similar | 500 accommodation units. |
| Educational Centers | 1,000 places or with boarding facilities (more than 200 beds). |
| Indoor Sports Facilities | 3,000 square meters |
| Correctional Facilities | 1,000 places. |
How to Improve Water Quality
Digital technology and biosensors are extremely helpful in monitoring water quality. This is where Water Biosense comes in—a technological solution that enables real-time monitoring of the established control parameters.
How Does Water Biosense Technology Improve Drinking Water Safety?
Water Biosense is a biotechnological system that enables continuous and remote monitoring of water in a simple and intuitive way, complying with the safety parameters established in Royal Decree 3/2023.
Water Biosense provides real-time monitoring of various water safety and quality parameters.
What Are the Benefits of Using Water Biosense Technology?
The new Water Biosense technology offers several benefits, with the most notable being time, cost, and effort savings when controlling water quality. It is particularly useful for continuous monitoring of drinking or wastewater.
Additionally, its modular design allows it to adapt to different environments with great flexibility, reducing complexity and saving time during installation.
With Water Biosense, the safety of drinking water is guaranteed. It is a simple and practical solution that offers numerous advantages, enabling effective control of water quality and safety for consumers.
When developing the Water Health Plan, the Ministry of Health facilitated the work of infrastructure operators in supply areas by providing a Practical Guide for the Development of a Water Health Plan in a supply area, as well as the GEPSA software manager for the PSA.
In addition to the standard guidelines recommended by the World Health Organization for drinking water quality, new water management processes were also considered, including those implemented in the USA, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, along with specific information collected from bibliographic sources.
