Hygienic Status of Drinking Water in Middle and Primary Schools and Kindergartens in Qingdao City

Objectives To investigate the hygienic status and influencing factors of drinking water in middle and primary schools and kindergartens in Qingdao city.

Methods The patterns and hygienic status of drinking water were investigated in 523 middle and primary schools and kindergartens; the water samples of direct drinking water (directly from the outlets of drinking water ducts), boiled drinking water and barreled drinking water were collected and analyzed.

Results Direct drinking water pattern was used in 47% of investigated middle and primary schools and kindergartens. Boiled water pattern, barreled drinking water pattern and mixed drinking water pattern were used in 37%, 12% and 4% of schools and kindergartens respectively. The total qualified rate of drinking water supply was in 43.77% of 546 valid samples, and the qualified rate of drinking water supply of 523 investigated schools and kindergartens was 43.40%.

Conclusions The main factors influencing the quality of direct drinking water were microbial indexes (including total bacterial count, coliform bacteria) and nitrate nitrogen. Strengthening health management and disinfection are the key points to improve the qualified rate of direct drinking water in middle schools, primary schools and kindergartens. The main factor influencing nitrate nitrogen is the quality of local drinking water sources.