Health risk assessment of swimming pool users from the effects of legionella spp. Contamination of water

One of the main problems in the scope of public health is poor identification of the waterborne diseases and their etiology. One of the aims of the new directive concerning the quality of water intended for human consumption is to implement the principles of hazard assessment in water supply systems (WSS) in the member states, on the basis of water quality monitoring and analyses of the system functioning conditions. The implementation of risk management procedures in WSSs is to ensure an increase in the water supply safety and, in turn, protect the consumer's health against the harmful effects of any potable water contamination. At present, the secondary legislation to the Polish acts implementing the Directive of the Council of Europe is the Regulation of the Minister of Health on the quality of water intended for human consumption, which also sets forth the scope of monitoring the quality of hot water for Legionella spp., which can be an etiological factor of legionellosis. Another act regulating the water quality in terms of Legionella spp. is the Regulation of the Minister of Health on water quality in swimming pools. These acts, referring to the parameter of Legionella spp., are complementary. This paper presents the results of evaluating the change in the sanitary status of hot water quality in terms of contamination with Legionella spp. bacteria in the selected swimming pool facilities in southern Poland (Silesian Voivodship). On the basis of the available water quality test from state inspections (Chief Sanitary Inspectorate), an analysis of the microbiological quality of hot water in swimming pools was conducted. The analyses included a spatial distribution of those facilities, which results from the regionalisation subject to the territorially competent public health authority exercising supervision over the water quality in the Silesian Voivodship. The methods were presented for determination of the health risk of swimming pool users as a result of contamination of swimming pool water with Legionella spp. in relation to the availability of a given recreation facility. The final result of these studies is the use of GIS (Geographic Information System) tools in spatial risk interpretation.