Safe drinking water and waterborne outbreaks
Review article, 2017

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.

Distribution network

Waterborne outbreak

Water treatment

Drinking water

Water safety plan

Pathogens

Author

Nuno Moreira

Cranfield University

Mia Bondelind

Chalmers, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Water Environment Technology

Journal of Water and Health

1477-8920 (ISSN) 19967829 (eISSN)

Vol. 15 1 83-96

Areas of Advance

Building Futures (2010-2018)

Subject Categories

Water Engineering

DOI

10.2166/wh.2016.103

PubMed

28151442

More information

Latest update

7/5/2021 1