Guidelines on using the Web-enabled and Supportive Spreadsheet-based Wastewater risk Abatement planning (W2RAP) Tools.

Background South Africa needs effective and efficient systems for providing water services if it is to rise above current challenges and provide high quality services to all its people. The Department of Water and Sanitation’s (DWS) Green Drop Certification (GDC) programme follows a risk-assessment based regulatory approach, and the Wastewater Risk Abatement Plan (commonly referred to as W2RAP, and very similar to the Water Safety Planning approach used for drinking-water quality risk assessments) is the primary tool with which DWS assesses and monitors the performance of wastewater services at Water Services Institutions (WSIs). The W2RAP process assists WSIs by (i) evaluating and documenting wastewater processes and (ii) prioritising wastewater services risks and therefore providing targeted support to address gaps and weaknesses. The focus of the W2RAP process is on spurring internal performance improvement, through an emphasis on regular performance measurement and better information to inform management decision-making. A key advantage of the W2RAP approach is that it serves as a platform for middle managers to engage top municipal management via assessed and documented risks, and thus enables parties to highlight prioritised risks and corrective actions which can be planned and budgeted for monitored implementation. Guideline Objective The objective of this guideline document is to: • Briefly introduce Wastewater Risk Abatement Planning, • Highlight key steps to be considered when developing a W2RAP, and • Provide step-by-step guidance as to how to use the W2RAP Tools, which are currently hosted on RiskQ (www.riskq.co.za) (access details are provided within the body of this document).