QMRAwell is a tool with a quick-and-easy-to-use formula to identify vulnerable sandy aquifers and situations that require attention.
In the Netherlands, a guideline document for Guideline Analysis Microbiological Safety Drinkingwater Richtsnoer Analyse Microbiologische Veiligheid Drinkwater (AMVD) | Publicatie | Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport (ILT) (ilent.nl) was developed to provide information on how to conduct a risk analysis.
For drinking water produced from groundwater, the risk analysis includes the following:
- Vulnerability assessment of groundwater production sites;
- Calculating the protection zone against microbial contamination to remain below an infection risk of 1/10,000 persons/year;
- Assessment of contamination sources within the protection zone; and
- QMRA for identified contamination sources.
Protection zones are based on a standard virus contamination scenario (Vulnerability of unconfined aquifers to virus contamination - ScienceDirect) and may be computed using a required minimal travel time, a hydrological model that includes a first-order decay term for virus inactivation and attachment, or the computational tool QMRAwell.
QMRAwell is designed for unconfined and (semi)confined sandy aquifers with a forced groundwater gradient due to pumping. The tool can also be used to conduct QMRA.
QMRAwell can be applied by drinking water companies, researchers, and policymakers worldwide.
A QMRA for any other waterborne pathogen can be conducted as well using data and/or parameter values.
How to download QMRAwell
QMRAwell is available as a computable document format (CDF). Download the files below and save them on your computer. Then, run QMRAwell as a stand-alone tool using the CDF Player for full functionality. Use the free CDF player to run QMRAwell.