Brandenburg germs in drinking water

Germs in the drinking water of Brandenburg

23.11.2011

Again in many places Brandenburg a germ load of the drinking water was discovered. In 16 municipalities of the district of Uckermark and a municipality in the district of Barnim, the competent authorities have detected enterococcus bacteria in drinking water.

While the contaminants in the district of Uckermark have been known for a long time, the germ load of the drinking water in the municipality of Biesenthal (Barnim district) became public only on Tuesday. Barnim County spokeswoman Marianne Suntrup confirmed recent media reports that drinking water at a daycare center in the community was contaminated with enterococci (specific lactic acid bacteria). Suntrup urged the residents of Biesenthal to boil their drinking water for the time being.

Boil water to avoid health risks
According to Marianne Suntrup, the bacteria in the drinking water of the day care center were discovered during routine checks. Since then, the day care center has been supplied with drinking water from bottles in order to exclude potential health risks. The inhabitants of Biesenthal are asked for the same reason to boil their drinking water. According to the district spokeswoman, there is no reason for panic, because „Cooking always helps.“ Enterococci are especially for people whose immune system is already weakened and for young children a health risk. They are prone to urinary and gastrointestinal infections, which may be accompanied by symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.

Maybe mosquitoes cause the drinking water pollution
The authorities are currently looking intensively at the causes of drinking water pollution, but have so far been unable to give concrete results. „The search for the source is running“, This is the statement by Kreissprecherin Marianne Suntrup. Suspected are - as in previous reports - the carcasses of mosquitoes. Possibly the animals would have protected themselves from the cold in a drinking water container and have died here, so the presumption of the responsible public utilities. While the search for the pollution source in Barnim is currently underway, the investigations in the district of Uckermark are nearing completion. However, even here no fixed cause for the germ load of the drinking water could be called, so the data of the district administration in Prenzlau. The results of the laboratory tests are expected for Thursday, explained the county spokeswoman Ramona Fischer. The pipelines in the district of Uckermark are currently being disinfected with chlorine in order to avoid germ contamination. However, the water is usable according to the authorities.

Microbial contamination in drinking water is a general problem?
The Brandenburg Ministry of Health in Potsdam explained to media demand in view of recent discoveries of germs in drinking water, that further cases of contamination in Brandenburg are currently unknown. Demand seems justified at this point, however, because this year has already reported a germ load of drinking water from several counties of Brandenburg. For example, from Potsdam, the district of Barnim and the city of Wittenberge (Prignitz district), where Escherichia coli bacteria and so-called coliform bacteria were detected. (Fp)

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Image: Sebastian Karkus