Royal Decree 140/2003 of 7 February, establishing the health criteria for the quality of water for human consumption, sets parameters and parametric values to be met at the point where the water for consumption is put (a) to be available to the consumer and establishes the need to meet the quality criteria laid down therein, as well as the quality control programmes for human consumption water which must be adapted to the needs of the individual supply.

The special characteristics of water supplies in the Armed Forces, related to their inherent mobility and operability, with facilities distributed throughout the national geography, located in urban centers or in bases and detachments away from the cities, where the water of human consumption can be sourced from municipal, own or mixed supplies, and the increasingly frequent use of aljibes and cisterns, makes it necessary to establish a specific program for the field of the Armed Forces of the sanitary surveillance of the waters of consumption human.

Royal Decree 1120/2012 of 20 July amending Royal Decree 140/2003 of 7 February 2003 adds an additional provision stating that, where the provisions of this royal decree affect the units, centres and bodies belonging to the Ministry of Defence and its public bodies, will be implemented by the General Inspection of Defence Health, coordinating with the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality, the Autonomous Communities and the municipalities the actions that are necessary.

Therefore, it is necessary a normative development that aims to facilitate the effective fulfillment of the aforementioned royal decree designating for it the bodies involved with their corresponding responsibilities and (a) competence, in relation to health surveillance, inspections of new facilities, laboratories and participation in the National Consumer Water Information System.

In its virtue, I have:

Article 1. Object.

This ministerial order aims to develop, in the field of the Ministry of Defense, Royal Decree 140/2003, of 7 February, establishing the health criteria for the quality of water for human consumption.

Article 2. Scope.

This ministerial order will be applied to the waters of human consumption of the Navy Ships, Units, Facilities, Centers, Organizations, Bases, Waterings or Establishments (BUICOBAE, s.) of the Ministry of Defense and its public bodies, in national territory, the exclusions provided for in Article 3.2 of Royal Decree 140/2003 of 7 February 2003 being equally applicable.

Article 3. Responsibilities and competences.

In the scope of this ministerial order the following responsibilities are established:

(a) The Health Authority, in all matters related to the scope of this ministerial order, shall be the General Inspection of Defence Health through the General Sub-Inspection of Pharmaceutical Support and Management. The personnel of the Military Corps of Defence Health shall also be considered by the health authority when carrying out activities related to this ministerial order or technical instructions which develop it.

b) The Heads of the BUICOBAE,s. The Ministry of Defense, as the maximum responsible for the same, must make available to its users water suitable for consumption and will be responsible for ensuring the quality of the water supplied through any distribution network, cistern or mobile deposit.

The Chiefs of the BUICOBAE,s. in the field of their powers, they shall establish how many measures they deem appropriate for the performance of this task.

c) When the consumption water of the BUICOBAE,s. where appropriate, the BUICOBAE shall have the status of manager and/or managers, as provided for in Article 2.3 of Royal Decree 140/2003 of 7 February 2003.

The Chiefs of the BUICOBAE,s. be responsible for the management and supply control and for the laboratories responsible for monitoring the quality of water for human consumption to carry out, in each of the parts of the supply, the corresponding self-monitoring and control tests in the the consumer's tap.

In accordance with the provisions of Article 18 (5) of Royal Decree 140/2003 of 7 February 2003, the Head of each BUICOBAE considered manager shall draw up, in accordance with the programme for the health surveillance of water for human consumption, Article 5 of this ministerial order refers to a protocol for the control and management of supply, in which everything related to the control of the quality of water for human consumption and the supply of water must be included. must be at the disposal of the health authority.

(d) If the quality of water for human consumption is subject to changes that imply that it is not suitable for consumption in a temporary or permanent manner, the Heads of the BUICOBAEAs. the Ministry of Defense and its public bodies shall inform their Command and/or the population of such a situation of non-compliance and the corrective and preventive measures envisaged or taken, through the means and in the form that considers more appropriate, in accordance with the guidelines of the Health Authority, in order to avoid any risk affecting the protection of human health.

(e) Regardless of who performs the function of the manager, the Health Directorates of the General Armies of the Armies shall ensure that they are responsible for the compliance with this order. ministerial.

Article 4. Previous health inspections of new installations.

1. In any project of construction of a new collection, driving, drinking water treatment station (ETAP), supply network or distribution network (with a length greater than 500 meters), distribution network distribution or remodeling The Health Authority shall draw up a binding health report, without prejudice to the provisions of the Health Directorates General of the Armies General, without prejudice to the provisions of this Regulation. part of the manager.

2. Upon the implementation of the new facility, the Health Authority shall make a report based on the inspection and assessment and monitoring, during the time it makes appropriate, of the analytical results performed.

3. If it is a tank or mobile tank, the manager of the tank or mobile tank must have the binding report of the Health Authority which permits its activity taking into account the provisions of Article 14 of Royal Decree 140/2003, 7 of February.

Article 5. Health Surveillance.

The health surveillance of water for human consumption in the Ministry of Defense is the responsibility of the General Inspection of Support and Management of the General Inspection of Health, who will ensure, supported by The Health Directorates of the Armies, for periodic sanitary inspections of the supply in order to ensure compliance with Royal Decree 140/2003, of February 7 and of what is established in this ministerial order.

The Health Authority shall prepare and make available to the Heads of the BUICOBAE,s. the Ministry of Defence and its public bodies the programme for the health surveillance of water for human consumption, which it will send to the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality, as well as the timetable for its implementation, which will be coordinated with The Institute of Toxicology of Defense (ITOXDEF).

Article 6. Laboratories for monitoring the quality of water for human consumption.

The analysis referred to in Articles 18 and 20 of RealDecreto 140/2003, of 7 February concerning self-control and control in the consumer's tap, will be carried out by the following establishments:

1. The organoleptic examinations and the control of the disinfectant used shall be carried out by personnel designated by the head of BUICOBAE with due instruction and with the supervision of the appropriate laboratory of the network of laboratories referred to in the next point.

2. The control analysis and the parameters to be controlled in the consumer's tap will be carried out by the network of Pharmacy of the Army of the Earth and the Central Organ, Pharmacy of Ships and Dependencies of the Navy and Pharmacy and Centers of Pharmacy of the Air Army. Those parameters which because of their technical or instrumental difficulty cannot be performed by these establishments will be referred to ITOXDEF.

3. The complete analyses will be carried out by the ITOXDEF, which will act as the Reference Laboratory in this field. The ITOXDEF shall be responsible for the coordination of the analytics referred to in this Article, as well as for the management of the data generated.

The Health Authority, through the ITOXDEF, will communicate to the National Information System of Consumer Water (SINAC) the data generated in the self-control, sanitary surveillance or control on tap of the consumer. For this purpose, the laboratories referred to above shall forward the analytical results to ITOXDEF in addition to their corresponding Health Directorate.

Article 7. Register of Water Managers.

The record of the BUICOBAE,s is created. In accordance with Article 3 (c) of this ministerial order, the heads of the units, centres and agencies of the Ministry of Defence shall declare to the Authority that the authority of the Ministry of Defence shall be responsible for the Health, its existence.

Article 8. Non-compliance and corrective and preventive measures

1. Any non-compliance detected in the supply or quality of water for human consumption must be confirmed. This confirmation shall be made, where necessary, with the taking of a new sample of water before 24 hours after the failure to comply with the reference to the ITOXDEF, indicating the reason for the referral of the shows.

2. After confirmation of the non-compliance, ITOXDEF shall notify the incident to the Pharmaceutical Support and Management Sub-Inspection and the affected BUICOBAE.

3. The Health Authority shall assess the importance of non-compliance and shall inform the Head of BUICOBAE of the measures to be taken: to restrict or prohibit water consumption or to apply appropriate treatment techniques in order to eliminate non-compliance, Labelling water as suitable or unfit for consumption as a function of health risk. It will also assess the opening or not of an "alert situation", communicating it either directly or through the Defense Secretariat, the Chief of the Defense Staff, and the Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces, who have been affected by the situation. take the appropriate measures, as well as the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality, the Autonomous Communities and the municipalities concerned, if they deem it necessary.

4. The heads of the BUICOBAE,s. have the appropriate corrective and preventive measures in accordance with the Health Authority, in order to avoid any risk affecting the protection of health and shall communicate the situation and the relevant recommendations. Health and safety at work, before 24 hours after assessment by the Health Authority.

5. The Heads of the BUICOBAE,s. take the measures deemed appropriate to provide the same support as necessary for compliance with the declared alert and to be able to take corrective and preventive measures to remedy the situation which has caused the alert.

6. Once the corrective measures have been taken, a new sampling will be carried out at the point where the problem which will be referred to ITOXDEF would have taken place to verify the situation of normality. The analytical results shall be forwarded to the Health Authority which shall assess the closure of the 'alert situation', communicating it to the same authorities as the 'alert situation' and to the Head of the BUICOBAE which, in turn, has communicate to the affected consumers.

Final disposition first. Regulatory development.

From the entry into force of this ministerial order the General Inspection of Health will issue a Technical Instruction in which at least the following extremes will be developed: criteria for the quality of water for human consumption, water quality control of human consumption, substances for the treatment of water, self-control, control in the consumer's tap, protocols for quality control, sampling, timing and coordination between laboratories, register of managers and inspections.

Final disposition second. Entry into force.

This ministerial order shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the "Official State Gazette".

Madrid, November 11, 2013. -Minister of Defense Pedro Morenes Eulate.