Providing safe potable water onboard vessels presents particular challenges and contamination can occur directly from source waters as well as during loading, storage and distribution. Between May and October 2005, 950 potable water samples were collected from 342 ships docking at ports. Comparison with Guidelines found 9% of samples contained coliforms, Escherichia coli or enterococci and 2.8% had faecal indicators (E. coli or enterococci). Action levels of aerobic colony count (ACC) bacteria were detected in 20% (22°C) and 21.5% (37°C) of samples. ACC results from one-off sampling are not informative as this does not enable port health authorities to monitor ACC trends. They should be removed as a routine criterion for remedial action and vessels should adopt the WHO Water Safety Plan approach, whilst continuing to monitor water quality with public health-based indicators (e.g. chlorine residual, coliforms, E. coli and enterococci). Logistic regression analyses identified practices associated with water quality. Practices protective against coliforms, E. coli or enterococci in potable supplies were: good hose hygiene, processing water onboard, maintaining free chlorine residual at ≥0.2 mg/L. This emphasizes the importance of good hygiene during potable water loading and maintaining adequate disinfection of supplies onboard.
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Research Article|
January 01 2008
The microbiological quality of potable water on board ships docking in the UK and the Channel Islands: an association of Port Health Authorities and Health Protection Agency Study
P. Grenfell;
P. Grenfell
1Gastrointestinal Infections Department, Health Protection Agency Centre for Infections, 61 Colindale Avenue, London, NW9 5EQ, UK
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C. L. Little;
1Gastrointestinal Infections Department, Health Protection Agency Centre for Infections, 61 Colindale Avenue, London, NW9 5EQ, UK
Tel: +44(0)20 8327 7931 Fax: +44(0)20 8327 7112; E-mail: [email protected]
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S. Surman-Lee;
S. Surman-Lee
2Health Protection Agency, London Food, Water & Environmental Microbiology Services Laboratory, 61 Colindale Avenue, London, NW9 5EQ, UK
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M. Greenwood;
M. Greenwood
3Health Protection Agency, Wessex Environmental Microbiology Services, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK
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J. Averns;
J. Averns
4Department of Environmental Services, London Port Health Authority, City of London, PO Box 270, Guildhall, London, EC2P 2EJ, UK
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S. Westacott;
S. Westacott
5Southampton Port Health Authority, Meridians House, Meridians Cross, 7 Ocean Way, Ocean Village, Southampton, SO14 3TJ, UK
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C. Lane;
C. Lane
1Gastrointestinal Infections Department, Health Protection Agency Centre for Infections, 61 Colindale Avenue, London, NW9 5EQ, UK
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G. Nichols
G. Nichols
1Gastrointestinal Infections Department, Health Protection Agency Centre for Infections, 61 Colindale Avenue, London, NW9 5EQ, UK
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J Water Health (2008) 6 (2): 215–224.
Article history
Received:
March 08 2007
Accepted:
April 19 2007
Citation
P. Grenfell, C. L. Little, S. Surman-Lee, M. Greenwood, J. Averns, S. Westacott, C. Lane, G. Nichols; The microbiological quality of potable water on board ships docking in the UK and the Channel Islands: an association of Port Health Authorities and Health Protection Agency Study. J Water Health 1 June 2008; 6 (2): 215–224. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wh.2008.045
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