Tag page

Public health

Projects

Health
Biological activity
ProVe IT-LT: Proven Safe and Innovative Hot Tap Water at Low Temperature

A low temperature (LT; 50 °C) in heating networks offers various advantages, such as reduced heat loss during heat distribution. Moreover, a low supply temperature is also increasingly…

Read more about ProVe IT-LT: Proven Safe and Innovative Hot Tap Water at Low Temperature
Health
Biological activity
Risk of opportunistic pathogens in drinking water

The water utilities have indicated that research into opportunistic pathogens in drinking water has a high priority. This is because these pathogens could represent a potential health risk. This project’s priority is…

Read more about Risk of opportunistic pathogens in drinking water
Health
Biological activity
Preparation RT-PCR method enterococci

The routine determination of the safety of our drinking water is highly important. In practice this involves the use of a culture method for the intestinal bacteria E. coli and enterococci. This…

Read more about Preparation RT-PCR method enterococci
Health
Microbial safety
Validation RT-PCR method enterococci

The routine determination of the safety of our drinking water is highly important. In practice this involves the use of a culture method for the intestinal bacteria E. coli and enterococci. This…

Read more about Validation RT-PCR method enterococci
Enabling technologies
New materials and technologies
SARS-CoV-2 (RNA) in municipal wastewater: hazards and opportunities

This project couples the monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 in the underground (sewage water) with above-ground testing, with the aim of evaluating the sensitivity, the predictive value for the incidence…

Read more about SARS-CoV-2 (RNA) in municipal wastewater: hazards and opportunities
Health
Biological activity
Circular Rain

With Circular Rain we are investigating the innovative storage, purification and use of rainwater. By buffering and simultaneously purifying harvested rainwater, a variety of useful applications can be envisaged for the water. Technology EWB has developed an…

Read more about Circular Rain
Enabling technologies
New materials and technologies
EUSEME: Europe-wide Sewage analysis to Monitor Emerging drug problems

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is now an established approach in monitoring the consumption of a selection of illicit drugs. However, WBE can also become a valuable source of information…

Read more about EUSEME: Europe-wide Sewage analysis to Monitor Emerging drug problems
Enabling technologies
New materials and technologies
Smart sewers

Waterboards, as the managers of wastewater treatment processes, are increasingly confronted with waste discharges of hazardous substances and chemicals into sewage water. Since the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have not been designed to remove such (volumes) of…

Read more about Smart sewers
Health
Microbial safety
ANSWER

In response to the growing problem of water scarcity, the reuse of treated urban wastewater is considered to be the most suitable and reliable alternative for sustainable water management and agricultural development. In spite of the benefits…

Read more about ANSWER
Enabling technologies
Hydroinformatics
DEMOWARE

Europe’s capacity to respond to the growing water stress through the reuse of water is being held back by a number of barriers: limited public trust in the solutions, inconsistent cost-benefit analysis approaches to water reuse, and…

Read more about DEMOWARE

All projects ()

Experts

Sanah Shaikh MSc
Scientific researcher, European Registered Toxicologist (ERT)
view profile
Sanah Shaikh MSc

Scientific researcher, European Registered Toxicologist (ERT)

Sanah Majid Shaikh works as a scientific researcher and toxicologist in the Chemical Water Quality and Health team. She has experience in scientific research on the toxicity of chemical mixtures.…

030-6069716

sanah.majid.shaikh@kwrwater.nl

06-15323938

view profile
Frederic Béen PhD
Senior scientific researcher
view profile
Frederic Béen PhD

Senior scientific researcher

Frederic Béen works as a researcher in the Chemical Water Quality and Health team. His research activities focus on the implementation of analytical and sampling techniques to monitor emerging contaminants…

030-6069748

frederic.been@kwrwater.nl

06-11365219

view profile
Erik Emke BSc
Scientific researcher
view profile
Erik Emke BSc

Scientific researcher

Erik Emke is a researcher on the Chemical Water Quality and Health team. Erik has 25 years of experience in the research, development and implementation of new analytical techniques for…

030-6069691

Erik.Emke@kwrwater.nl

06-54295592

view profile
Thomas ter Laak PhD
Senior scientific researcher
view profile
Thomas ter Laak PhD

Senior scientific researcher

Thomas ter Laak works as a senior researcher in Chemical Water Quality on the sources, monitoring, behaviour, presence, as well as modelling of (new) micropollutants in the water cycle. Over…

030-6069657

Thomas.ter.Laak@kwrwater.nl

06-25243017

view profile
Prof. Gertjan Medema PhD
Principal microbiologist
view profile
Prof. Gertjan Medema PhD

Principal microbiologist

Gertjan Medema is Principal Microbiologist at KWR. He is also part-time professor of Water & Health at Delft University of Technology, and Distinguished Hannah Visiting Professor at Michigan State University.…

030-6069653

Gertjan.Medema@kwrwater.nl

06-25032597

view profile
Paul van der Wielen PhD
Senior scientific researcher
view profile
Paul van der Wielen PhD

Senior scientific researcher

Paul van der Wielen is Principal Scientist in the field of (micro)biological activity in water in man-made water systems, and a member of KWR's Scientific Council. He is also guest…

030-6069642

Paul.van.der.Wielen@kwrwater.nl

06-25241293

view profile

All experts ()

News

News

Microbiologist Gertjan Medema awarded the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize 2024

16 April 2024 — Microbiologist Gertjan Medema will receive the Lee Kuan Yew Prize 2024 from the President of Singapore on 18…

Read more about Microbiologist Gertjan Medema awarded the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize 2024
News

The exposome: a new paradigm for the water sector?

26 September 2023 — It is hoped that exploratory research looking at the role of water in the exposome will provide an…

Read more about The exposome: a new paradigm for the water sector?
Blog

The new urban drinking and wastewater chain: small, concentrated and sustainable

30 June 2023 — The drinking water and wastewater chains must be more sustainable in order to guarantee the availability of adequate…

Read more about The new urban drinking and wastewater chain: small, concentrated and sustainable
News

EUSEME: Drugs in sewage during Dutch lockdown

17 June 2020 — In the week after the announcement of the ‘intelligent’ lockdown in the Netherlands, KWR tested levels of illegal…

Read more about EUSEME: Drugs in sewage during Dutch lockdown
News

Wastewater-based epidemiology: Wastewater reflection on society

16 June 2020 — Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) uses sewage as a source of information about citizens’ health and lifestyle. Analysis of sewage…

Read more about Wastewater-based epidemiology: Wastewater reflection on society
News

First methamphetamine waste discharge measured in Eindhoven

12 March 2020 — The consumption of cocaine and MDMA (XTC) in the Netherlands has been the highest in Europe for a…

Read more about First methamphetamine waste discharge measured in Eindhoven
News

Monitoring emerging drug problems in Europe

04 December 2019 — The partners of the EUSEME project came together on 19 and 20 November for the kick-off meetings. Researchers…

Read more about Monitoring emerging drug problems in Europe
News

Wastewater analysis reveals trends in international drug use

23 October 2019 — The results of seven years’ wastewater analysis have been compiled in an article published in the prestigious journal…

Read more about Wastewater analysis reveals trends in international drug use
News

US committee recommends strong Legionella management measures, comparable to those in the Netherlands

15 August 2019 — Every year, 52,000 to 70,000 Americans are afflicted by Legionnaires’ disease, a pneumonia caused by certain Legionella species.…

Read more about US committee recommends strong Legionella management measures, comparable to those in the Netherlands
News

WHO approves 23 household water treatment systems

08 August 2019 — Household water treatment systems are important for public health in a number of countries, where the quality of…

Read more about WHO approves 23 household water treatment systems
News

Is it good to further purify your drinking water at home?

18 July 2019 — Reports appear fairly regularly in the media suggesting that drinking water is not clean and that it’s better…

Read more about Is it good to further purify your drinking water at home?
News

2018 figures on drugs in European cities’ wastewater

14 March 2019 — The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) today published the results of drug monitoring of…

Read more about 2018 figures on drugs in European cities’ wastewater
Blog

Knowledge exchange on environmental incident response in China

07 January 2019 — The week before Christmas 2018 I joined a mission of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management…

Read more about Knowledge exchange on environmental incident response in China
Blog

Staying tuned with incidents involving hazardous components

02 July 2018 — An annually recurring conference on incidents involving hazardous components, organised by the Dutch fire brigade, the National public…

Read more about Staying tuned with incidents involving hazardous components
Column

2017, the year of Legionella pneumophila

17 January 2018 — Maybe you weren’t aware, but 2017 was the year of a variety of animals, plants and mushrooms. Bird-watchers…

Read more about 2017, the year of Legionella pneumophila
Article

KWR participates in the review of the Drinking Water Directive

01 June 2015 — In collaboration with Ecorys and WUR/Alterra, KWR organised a stakeholder event in Brussels on Tuesday, 26 May 2015.…

Read more about KWR participates in the review of the Drinking Water Directive
Article

Updated, online database on waterborne pathogens

15 April 2015 — From 12 to 15 April 2015, an international group of 35 scientists working on the Global Water Pathogen…

Read more about Updated, online database on waterborne pathogens