[Criticism and recommendations for improvements of the drinking water regulation and of the European Community guideline 80/778/EWG].
The prevention of possible outbreaks as they occurred hundred years ago is still the object of the control of drinking water by the EC-guideline and the Drinking Water Regulations, respectively. At that time, the principle of faecal indicator bacteria was developed and it proved very useful. Now, however, drinking water is no longer supplied by wells but by plants. In comparison with the situation during the last century the relative risks of infectious diseases by faecal organisms are now drastically lower. An intelligent strategy of prevention of drinking water epidemics has to take into consideration that enteropathogens have become too rare so that it is hardly possible to detect them by the frequently occurring faecal markers E. coli and total coliforms. The alternative is the control of the "good manufacturing practices" (GMP) during the processing of drinking water. The colony counts seem to be better markers than the coliforms. Today, more than 90 per cent of infections by drinking water are due to legionellas and ubiquitous mycobacteria occurring in warm water. Therefore, warm water has to be included in the normal control. Furthermore, legionellae and ubiquitous mycobacteria should be tested regularly. Against that, the investigation of total coliforms and/or faecal streptococci seems superfluous. Finally, the future safety of drinking water demands the investigation of at least two additional chemical contaminants, i.e. asbestos and radon, whereas the cyanide test does not appear necessary.
Müller
H E
HE
Staatliches Medizinaluntersuchungsamt Braunschweig.
D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D006801:Humans; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014881:Water Supply / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*
Kritik und Verbesserungsvorschläge an der Trinkwasser-Verordnung und an der EG-Richtlinie 80/778/EWG.