Project outline

MICRORISK is supported by the European Commission as part of the 5th Framework Programme, and contributes to the implementation of the Key action Management of water in the city within the programme: Energy, environment and sustainable development. The contract number is EVK1-CT-2002-00123. It is part of a cluster of drinking water projects. We are solely responsible for the content of this website. It does not necessarily represent the opinion of the European Community and the European Community is not responsible for any use that might be made of the information.

Project objectives

The aim of MICRORISK is to develop a microbial risk assessment process which will contribute to the decision making process for risk management of drinking water. The drinking water production chain will be integrated in a single knowledge framework and its reliability towards regularly occurring calamities and outbreaks will be determined. The elements of this framework are the Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP). The implementation of the framework aspires to 'benchmark' the policy making process leading to future Drinking Water Directives and new legislation across the European Union State Members.

Project Summary

This project will provide a harmonised framework and scientific basis for quantitative microbiological risk assessment of drinking water. Via a source-to-tap approach all stages in drinking water production will be included. The information on these stages will be combined into a safety-assessment of the water that is consumed. Uncertainty analysis is used to determine the strengths and weaknesses of this approach. The outcome of the risk assessment is verified against the current knowledge on disease-incidence in Member States and data from outbreaks of waterborne disease. This approach has the benefit of providing water companies, regulators and consumers with insight in the level of consumer protection and the strength and weaknesses of the system installed to protect drinking water quality.