[Pseudomonas aeruginosa in swimming pool waters (author's transl)].

During the year 1977 we examined 2226 samples of swimming pool waters for colony counts, Escherichia coli and coliforms according to the German standards for drinking water. In addition, Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated out from 180 of those samples. This microorganism was found in 4.7% of samples from public municipal swimming pools, in 4.1% from swimming pools in schools, in 13.1% from swimming pools in hotels, boarding-houses, hydropathic establishments, sanatoria, blocks of flats and private dwellings as well as in 38% (!) from swimming pools in hospitals. P. aeruginosa could rarely be isolated together with E. coli or coliforms. However, it was often found in samples, which were faultless according to the bacteriological standards for drinking water. Its necessity as an additional important hygienic parameter will be discussed.