Service information from the public health department on the amendment to the Drinking Water Ordinance
This applies if there is a large-scale system for heating drinking water, if the drinking water is supplied as part of a commercial or public activity (renting falls under commercial activity) and if the system contains showers or other systems for nebulisation. Large systems are hot water heating systems with storage tank capacities of more than 400 litres and/or pipework capacities of more than three litres between the drinking water heater and the tapping point. Drinking water heating systems in detached and semi-detached houses are not large-scale drinking water heating systems and are therefore not subject to the testing obligation.
Testing, including sampling, may only be carried out - like all tests prescribed by the Drinking Water Ordinance - by testing centres that fulfil certain requirements (Section 15 (4) of the Drinking Water Ordinance). The Saxon State Ministry for Social Affairs and Consumer Protection regularly publishes a list of these testing centres in the Free State of Saxony in the Saxon Official Gazette and on the Internet at www.gesunde.sachsen.de.
If the technical measure value of 100 legionella/100 ml is exceeded, this must be reported to the public health department. There are no further general testing obligations for owners of water supply systems according to § 3 No. 2 e. The public health department can order tests according to § 14 Para. 5, but this possibility already exists according to the currently valid Drinking Water Ordinance.
Contact and point of contact for citizens in Chemnitz on this topic is the Chemnitz City Health Department on 0371/488-5832 and 488-5320.