Leo Heijnen BSc

Leo Heijnen has worked on water quality at KWR since 2000. During this time, he built a strong profile on health-related microbial water quality. Leo was a pioneer in developing and implementing molecular, DNA-based methods in the urban water cycle. Methods like qPCR and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) have proven very valuable in rapidly and reliably detecting and identifying microorganisms in water. Molecular methods have become general-use research tools, enabling better insight into water quality and treatment issues. In 2018 molecular methods have also become part of the routine monitoring of water quality. A validation study in collaboration with the drinking water laboratories resulted in the legal acceptance of a molecular method for routine detection of E. coli in drinking water.