Hygiene and safety at our drinking water testing facility

Focus on clean water: How can we ensure this?

The supply of drinking water is of central importance to our daily lives, and the safety of this vital resource is a top priority. Hygiene in drinking water installations begins with the manufacture of pressure-boosting systems. It continues through transport, storage and installation, and extends right through to commissioning for intended use. These steps are key building blocks in achieving and safeguarding hygienically clean drinking water.

The newly published DVGW worksheet W 551-7, June 2023 – on which Andreas Politaj, Sales Manager for Domestic and Industrial Technology at SPECK Pumps, has been working within the DVGW committee for over two years – serves as a guide for the safe handling of pressure-boosting systems in drinking water installations. SPECK has been following the guidance set out in this worksheet for a long time. Applying the principles described therein helps to prevent microbial contamination, as a contaminated drinking water network can only be disinfected and cleaned again at great expense.

SPECK’s manufacture of drinking water pressure-boosting systems, as well as its new drinking water test bench – where all pumps and pressure-boosting systems intended for use in drinking water installations are 100 per cent tested and simultaneously disinfected – meets the latest hygiene requirements and ensures the first step in a long chain leading to germ-free drinking water in the drinking water installation.

Regular microbiological tests of the test benches are monitored by an independent testing body – certified to DIN EN ISO 17025:2018.

Naturally, once testing is complete, seals are fitted to all openings of the SPECK pressure-boosting system to prevent any potential contamination. In addition, the seals are provided with a hygiene seal. Every step is accompanied by documentation. This begins with the wet test at the factory and continues through to handover for intended operation. Everything is recorded in the accompanying log sheets, such as the disinfection of the system following the wet test at the manufacturer’s premises.

In conclusion, it should be noted that at a time when water quality and safety are increasingly coming into focus, DVGW W 551-7 plays a crucial role in ensuring a reliable and hygienic drinking water supply in buildings. It demonstrates the industry’s commitment to the highest standards and is an important step towards a safer and healthier future for everyone.

The installation of a SPECK pressure-boosting system ensures that these standards are met in full.