Microbiologic examination of drinking water for utilization in the hospital: A report from a local hospital in Thailand

Dear Sir,

Water is an important thing for any human being. Drinking water is required and if there is no safe drinking water, it can be a big public health problem. The sanitation of drinking water is an important issue to be considered. ^[1] The promotion of drinking water is a worldwide practice. However, the problem of contaminated water can be frequently seen. Although the concern is addressed toward many places, the usually forgotten place is the hospital setting. Here, the authors report a simple survey of microbiological examination of the drinking water collected from a hospital in Bangkok (due to privacy reasons, the name of the hospital is hereby blinded), Thailand. The water samples were collected and analyzed for microbiological contamination. The standard criteria according to the Thai Ministry of Public Health (1994) were used. The acceptable criteria included a) most probable number (MPN) coliforms/100 mL <2.2, b) no Escherichia coli (E. coli), and c) no pathogenic gastrointestinal microbe [Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Salmonella spp.]. According to the present survey, 12.5% of the collected samples did not fulfill the acceptable criteria. Focusing in detail, all the samples fulfilled the criteria “no E. coli” and “no pathogenic gastrointestinal microbe (S. aureus and Salmonella spp.)” but 12.5% did not fulfill the criteria “MPN coliforms/100 mL <2.2.” The average detected level in the group that did not pass the assessment was equal to 15.0 coliforms/100 mL. All the failed water samples were from the outpatient department. This result shows that there is a big problem of water contamination in the hospital. Where sanitation should be expected, the failure can still be seen. It is not only the water pipe and the purification system for drinking water but also the contamination of drinking glasses that should be specifically assessed and monitored for sanitation in the hospital. ^[2]

Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None

DOI: 10.4103/1755-6783.157297