updated1. August 2022, 18:03
Drinking water banAre there dangerous lactic acid bacteria in Lucerne’s drinking water?
Only on Sunday morning were the residents in the Langensand-Matthof district informed that their drinking water was polluted. This has been known since Friday.
On Sunday, July 31, 2022, the EWL announced that the drinking water in certain areas is polluted and drinking is not allowed.
EWL
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Already on Friday, July 29, 2022, the EWL found pollution in the drinking water.
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It is currently assumed that lactic acid bacteria got into the water. These can lead to serious health problems.
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The company Energie Wasser Luzern (EWL) recommends boiling the water and only using mineral water for drinking.
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The cause of the pollution has not yet been clarified. It is currently believed that a construction site caused the contamination.
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Current analyzes show a positive trend. However, the drinking water ban cannot yet be lifted.
On Friday, July 29, the EWL found contamination in the weekly drinking water inspection. A second investigation on Saturday evening confirmed the suspicion: the drinking water in the Langensand-Matthof area is polluted.
Information sheets were then printed and distributed to households. The municipal energy supplier assumes that 600 affected units and thus around 1800 households. Other areas are not affected.
Lactic acid bacteria in drinking water?
As Nina Kunz Rütimann, contact person of the EWL, explains, the contamination could be caused by lactic acid bacteria – but one is not quite sure yet.
If the water actually contains lactic acid bacteria, it would be a bad finding. Because lactic acid bacteria occur in humans, animals and food, such as milk, or are used to preserve food, e.g. B. with yoghurt, sour milk or cheese.
But some species can also cause disease. This can be particularly dangerous for older, weakened people, people with unstable immune systems and babies. Also of concern is that many of these pathogens have developed resistance to antibiotics. So if the bacteria cannot be treated with antibiotics, they can cause very serious health complications in drinking water.
boil water
In its letter, the EWL informs that the water must be boiled, as this guarantees that the pathogens are killed.
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Boiling the water, for example, when brushing your teeth, washing food, preparing food or washing dishes by hand.
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Use mineral water for drinking and as baby food.
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If the contaminated drinking water has already been drunk, those affected should be careful. If high fever, diarrhea and/or vomiting occur within 48 hours, a doctor must be consulted immediately.
EWL is looking for the cause
Lactic acid bacteria do not multiply in the water – this means that they only get into the drinking water from outside through faecal contamination. How the bacteria got into the water is difficult to determine. The search for the source of the pollution is now underway. “We assume that a construction site caused the contamination. We are currently looking for the leak where the contaminated water is flowing in,” explains Nina Kunz Rütimann.
The water tanks of the EWL have also been completely emptied three times. Flushing is intended to remove the contaminated water.
The energy supplier hopes that the contamination has now been eliminated or at least drastically reduced by flushing. The water quality is currently being tested again in laboratories. “We hope that the test results will be available soon,” says Kunz Rütimann to 20 minutes on request. According to a current media release, the last sample taken shows a positive trend in individual sub-areas. However, the results of the next sample must be awaited so that the ban on drinking water in the individual areas can be lifted. The next results are expected on Tuesday, August 2nd. Until then, the drinking water must still be boiled.