The Microbiologic Analysis of Drinking Water Considering the Occurence of Legionella in Germany

Abstract

The review article describes the risks of pathogenic bacteria transfer by drinking water and possible causes of drinking water contamination. In the past occurred several times a contamination of drinking water by pathogenic bacteria, caused mass illness with deaths. In the year 1975 in Federal republic of Germany was adopted fi rst law on drinking water (Trinkwasserverordnung). The amendment of this law was in the year 2001, next amendments followed in the years 2011 and 2013. This law is governed by regular checks of drinking water sources (drinking water reservoirs, wells, etc.) to the consumers. Set limits of microbiological and physical-chemical criteria must not be exceeded. Second part of this article deals with Legionella problem. There is described the risk of diseases caused by Legionella, such as Legionnaires disease and Pontiac fever. It was confi rmed, that the risk of those diseases is still current, as shown in the example Warstein in the year 2013.