Water safety
Written by Dr. T. M. Wassenaar Tuesday, 06 January 2009
Did you think your drinking water was sterile? it isn't, but that is no reason to worry. The important thing is that your water must be free of those bacteria that make us ill. A good indication of the safety of drinking water is the number of coliform bacteria present. These are harmless but their presence indicates a fecal contamination. And where there is feces, disease-causing bacteria are not far. More on what coliform bacteria are and what their numbers tell us.
Bottled water has a reputation of being safe and pure, but that can be disputed: Bottled water, pure drink or pure hype? Check out more Food safety facts on bottled water
- Test here if your water is safe to drink. This site also gives detailed information on ways of desinfecting drinking water.
- Frequently Asked Questions about water quality
- Watersport and swimming can be fun, but you don't want to regret your recreation in a sickbed. Water quality monitoring of recreational waters
- Drinking water inspectorate in the UK
- Health concerns about Nitrate in drinking water
Extra care should be taken in the hot season and in tropical areas, and not only because of crocodiles! There are quite a lot of infectious diseases that can be acquired from contaminated drinking water. If you are not sure of the quality of the water you want to drink, desinfect it properly by boiling for at least 10 min. Special care should be taken in tropical areas. Have a look at these water treatment methods for travellers. Did you know that Sunlight can desinfect water.
Not all diseases carried in water stem from bacteria. Viruses and amoeba can also cause tommy trouble or worse. What is the difference between bacteria and viruses? Take extra care when amoeba could be present in your drinking water, since these are not always distroyed when using desinfecting tablets.Amoeba are not included in our displays, check which organisms are not described in our museum.
Legionnaires' Disease can be transmitted through water. See this fact sheet or go to the species file on Legionella.
Last Updated on Sunday, 01 March 2009