GIS-based analysis of drinking-water supply structures: a module for microbial risk assessment

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science and Public Health
• Water Resource Management
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Background:

• Water-related infections pose a significant global health challenge.
• Effective microbial risk assessment (MRA) requires integrating Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles throughout the drinking-water management system.
• Existing water databases need to be evaluated for their utility in advanced spatial analysis for water management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the suitability of existing water databases for developing a Water Supply Structure-GIS (WSS-GIS) module.
• To explore the application of GIS for microbial monitoring and outbreak investigation in drinking water systems.
• To address future water management challenges, including health protection and climate change impacts, using spatial analysis.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a Geographical Information System (GIS) study on the water-supply structure (WSS) in the Rhein-Berg District, Germany.
• Evaluated the compatibility of the HYGRIS and TEIS databases for integration into a WSS-GIS module.
• Utilized GIS-specific functionalities for spatial data analysis of raw and drinking water.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated the suitability of HYGRIS and TEIS databases for developing a WSS-GIS module.
• GIS enables easy uncovering of spatial patterns within integrated raw and drinking-water data.
• WSS-GIS facilitates rapid visualization and analysis of drinking-water supply structures.

Conclusions:

• GIS application offers significant advantages for microbial monitoring of drinking water.
• WSS-GIS is a valuable tool for recognizing and investigating waterborne disease incidents and outbreaks.
• Spatial analysis using GIS is crucial for future water management, enhancing health protection and response to climate change impacts.