[Water hygiene in the hospital]

After defining what we mean by water hygiene and a short survey of contamination sources for water of drinking-water quality in a hospital, we describe by 2 focal points of water demand, namely dialysis and physical therapy (hydrotherapy pools): at which points and by which means water may suffer from microbiological contamination or by alterations of chemical parameters, which infectious agents and chemical parameters primarily are involved, which measures are required to secure the quality of this water. The major regulations and DIN-standards pertinent to water hygiene are pointed out, and the importance of considering measures of water hygiene for the supply of qualitatively unobjectionable water in the hospital is demonstrated.