Which survey is intended to ensure regulatory compliance, assess the system's capability to produce and distribute water to meet peak demand, and ensure the treated water quality meets drinking water standards?

• A. Environmental impact survey
• B. Sanitary survey
• C. Water quality audit
• D. Sanitation assessment

Answer: (B)

Sanitary surveys are designed to evaluate a drinking-water system as a whole for safety, regulatory compliance, and operational effectiveness. They look at the entire chain—from source protection to treatment, storage, and distribution—and also assess how well the system can meet peak demand through adequate treatment capacity, storage, and hydraulic performance. They review treatment processes, residual disinfectant levels, monitoring and reporting, and overall adherence to drinking-water standards and regulations. This combination—ensuring regulatory compliance, verifying the system can produce and distribute enough safe water to meet peak demand, and confirming the treated water quality meets standards—is exactly what a sanitary survey is meant to assess.

Other options focus on different aspects: environmental impact surveys examine ecological effects rather than drinking-water compliance and operations; a water quality audit concentrates on data and compliance of water quality alone without evaluating system capacity and sanitary conditions; sanitation assessments deal more with sanitation practices and facilities rather than the broader drinking-water system's regulatory adherence and performance.