No abstract

Do water utilities exhibit characteristics of high organisational reliability? Here, the reported characteristics of high reliability organisations (HROs) were explored within a regional water utility, and specifically within their incident response team. We found the utility well positioned to manage incidents and that many HRO principles were identifiable as management practice under these trying conditions. The observance of HRO principles contributed to the resilience of the organisation and toward the maintenance of a safe and reliable drinking water supply. An investigation of technical reliability in the system showed that the utility invested heavily in automated monitoring and control systems and took a differentiated, risk-based approach towards resource allocation to that of HROs, which maintain existing technology with zero tolerance of defective, substandard or malfunctioning equipment.

The role that deficient institutional relationships have played in aggravating drinking water incidents over the last 30 years has been identified in several inquiries of high profile drinking water safety events, peer-reviewed articles and media reports. These indicate that collaboration between water utilities and public health agencies (PHAs) during normal operations, and in emergencies, needs improvement. Here, critical elements of these interagency collaborations, that can be integrated within the corporate risk management structures of water utilities and PHAs alike, were identified using a grounded theory approach and 51 semi-structured interviews with utility and PHA staff. Core determinants of effective interagency relationships are discussed. Intentionally maintained functional relationships represent a key ingredient in assuring the delivery of safe, high quality drinking water.