Introduction: Access to safe drinking water is a right of every citizen of Republic of Slovenia but is not guaranteed for everyone. 90% of the population of Slovenia is connected to a public water supply, while the remaining 10% either have their own source of drinking water or need to have their drinking water distributed by engines. Purpose: The purpose of master thesis is to determine the compliance of drinking water with the microbiological parameters of the Drinking water Regulations from selected fire engines, taps and hydrants in the Celje area. Methods: A total of 50 drinking water samples were taken from taps, hydrants, and fire engines in five selected volunteer fire brigades in the Celje area between February and September 2022. Before the sampling, water temperature, pH, free, total and bound chlorine concentrations were measured. For the microbiological analysis, the presence of TBC was determined by the colony counting method at 22 ⁰C and 37 ⁰C. The presence of E. coli and enterococci was determined by the membrane filtration method. Results: The results of microbiological analyses of drinking water from taps and hydrants showed compliance with the microbiological provisions of the Drinking water Regulations. The microbiological results of stagnant drinking water in fire engines showed non-compliance with the microbiological provisions of the Drinking water Regulations. Most of the samples exceeded the TBC at 22 ⁰C and 37 ⁰C, and faecal coliforms were detected in some samples. Drinking water samples were taken from fire engines 1 hour after hydrant dispensing to simulate the distribution of drinking water to users. The microbiological results showed that most of the samples taken were non-compliant with the microbiological provisions of the Drinking water Regulations. Discussion and conclusion: Our research has shown that inadequate maintenance of firefighting engines and long retention times make the drinking water in firefighting engines inadequate. Stagnation of water and inconsistent chlorination have an impact on the deterioration of microbiological quality. More frequent changes and chlorine shocks when an increase of microorganisms in the water is detected would improve the microbiological quality of the drinking water in the engines.
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