Coronavirus and water safety

This page contains questions and answers about the novel coronavirus and water safety.

• Can coronavirus spread through drinking water? Do water treatment plants need to take special measures to prevent viruses?
• Can coronavirus spread through wastewater?
• Can coronavirus spread through swimming pool water?
• Can coronavirus spread through bathing water?
• Can exceptional water system outages during a pandemic pose a health risk?
• Other information about coronavirus

Can coronavirus spread through drinking water? Do water treatment plants need to take special measures to prevent viruses?

Water services are vital, including during the coronavirus pandemic. According to current knowledge, the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 does not spread through drinking water. The water treatment technologies used by the Finnish water supply plants remove and destroy viruses so that health hazards are not spread through drinking water. Groundwaters usually remain clear of  pathogenic viruses.

Water purification techniques and disinfection methods used for treating surface water, such as UV disinfection, chlorination, and ozonation, remove coronavirus and other respiratory viruses just as effectively as intestinal viruses.

Groundwater generally stays free from all viruses.

Can coronavirus spread through wastewater?

According to the knowledge we have at the moment about the coronavirus, SARS-Cov-2 can be found in faeces and thus this virus can end up in wastewater treatment plants. However, the virus does not remain pathogenic for long and thus it is unlikely to spread to staff via wastewater. Wastewater treatment processes remove the majority of viruses. Wastewater and wastewater sludge contain high quantities of other pathogenic microbes which may spread not only through water but also as aerosols or via surfaces. Therefore, it is recommended that the staff of wastewater treatment plants use protective clothing and respiratory protective equipment and adhere to good hygiene practice at work.
Finnish Institute of Occupational Health guidelines for preventing COVID-19 infection for wastewater staff (in Finnish)

Read more: Coronavirus wastewater monitoring

Can coronavirus spread through swimming pool water?

There is no indication that the coronavirus SARS-Cov-2 could spread through swimming pool water. Chlorine compounds which are always used for disinfection in swimming pool water destroy these viruses quickly if they enter into the swimming pool water.

The risk is primarily associated with transmission during close contact between swimmers if a person who is spreading coronavirus is present at the same time.

Can coronavirus spread through bathing water?

According to the present knowledge, the risk of getting the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 from swimming in natural water is assessed to be low. The risk of infection is mostly due to close contact between swimmers, if a person who is spreading the virus is swimming or at a public beach at the same time. The virus may end up in wastewaters, which are released into lake, river and sea waters after treatment. Wastewater treatment processes remove the majority of viruses, however, and the virus does not remain pathogenic in the environment for long.

Can exceptional water system outages during a pandemic pose a health risk?

During the pandemic many hotels, campsites and cruise ships, as well as residential buildings, offices, spas, swimming pools and ships, hd to closed their water systems either in whole or in part. The reduced use of premises and closure of water systems may increase the risk of Legionella in cold drinking water and domestic hot water as well as in cooling water, spa pool waters and other water systems.

The Legionella bacteria in water systems may be breathed in with water aerosols and cause severe pneumonia, which is called Legionnaires' disease, or milder flu-like symptoms with fever, which is called Pontiac fever.

The risk of Legionella can be reduced by continuing the usual control measures or, if this is not possible, by following the separate guidelines composed for the situation.

Read more: Combating the risk of Legionella during an interruption in the use of water systems

Other information about coronavirus

Other information about the novel coronavirus have been collected on the Infectious diseases topic page:

Coronavirus COVID-19 – Latest Updates (Infectious diseases topic page)