Journal Article

Safe drinking water and waterborne outbreaks

Bondelind, M., Moreira, N. A.

2017

Overview

The present work compiles a review on drinking waterborne outbreaks, with the perspective of production and distribution of microbiologically safe water, during 2000–2014. The outbreaks are categorised in raw water contamination, treatment deficiencies and distribution network failure. The main causes for contamination were: for groundwater, intrusion of animal faeces or wastewater due to heavy rain; in surface water, discharge of wastewater into the water source and increased turbidity and colour; at treatment plants, malfunctioning of the disinfection equipment; and for distribution systems, cross-connections, pipe breaks and wastewater intrusion into the network. Pathogens causing the largest number of affected consumers were Cryptosporidium, norovirus, Giardia, Campylobacter, and rotavirus. The largest number of different pathogens was found for the treatment works and the distribution network. The largest number of affected consumers with gastrointestinal illness was for contamination events from a surface water source, while the largest number of individual events occurred for the distribution network.

• Publisher: IWA Publishing
• Subject: Campylobacter / Colour / Consumers / Contamination / Cryptosporidium / Disease Outbreaks / Disinfection / Distribution / Distribution management / Distribution network / Drinking water / Drinking Water - microbiology / Efficiency / Epidemics / Giardia / Groundwater / Infections / Intrusion / Networks / Outbreaks / Pathogens / Public health / Rainfall / Raw water / Surface water / Turbidity / Wastewater / Wastewater discharges / Water discharge / Water pollution / Water Purification / Water quality / Water safety plan / Water shortages / Water supply / Water treatment / Water treatment plants / Waterborne diseases / Waterborne Diseases - epidemiology / Waterborne Diseases - microbiology / Waterborne Diseases - virology / Waterborne outbreak