The quality of drinking water has a direct impact on public health. This makes reliable and professionally recognized testing all the more important. The Institute for Laboratory Medicine at GPR Klinikum, led by Chief Physician Dr. Yolanta Dragneva, has once again demonstrated its expertise in this area. Following the routine external assessment in July 2026, the accreditation by the German Accreditation Body (DAkkS) for testing in the areas of hygiene and drinking water monitoring remains in effect.
The successful assessment once again confirmed the institute’s high level of technical, organizational, and analytical competence. The tests can thus continue to be conducted in accordance with DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025:2018. Regular reviews by external assessors ensure that the established quality standards are met and that the tests are conducted according to traceable and uniform procedures.
The entire team at the Institute for Laboratory Medicine contributed to this success. In addition to Chief Physician Dr. Yolanta Dragneva, specialist microbiologist Dr. Dorothea Nillius and the laboratory’s quality assurance officer, Karin Lesting, played a particularly significant role. Together with the Institute’s staff, their professional dedication and meticulous work made it possible to successfully maintain the accreditation.
Drinking water is an essential foodstuff
. In Germany, drinking water is comprehensively regulated by law and regularly monitored. The goal is to ensure consistently high quality and to detect health risks posed by potential contaminants at an early stage.
Such tests may be required in various settings—ranging from public water supplies and small private systems such as household wells to kindergartens, schools, nursing homes, hotels, and restaurants. Commercial and residential buildings may also be subject to such testing. Among other things, the testing verifies whether the prescribed limit values are being met and whether the water complies with the requirements of the Drinking Water Ordinance.
“Regular inspections are very important because drinking water is our most essential foodstuff. The Drinking Water Ordinance establishes a very strict framework for ensuring drinking water quality. Drinking water must be impeccable in terms of taste, odor, and appearance, and, of course, free of pathogens. It must also not contain chemical substances in concentrations harmful to health,” explains Dr. Yolanta Dragneva.
Accreditation Confirms Comprehensive Quality
DAkkS accreditation is recognized proof of a laboratory’s technical competence. It is not limited solely to the quality of individual analyses but encompasses the entire testing process—from sample preparation through the actual testing to evaluation and reporting of results.
The accreditation process serves to confirm the competence of laboratories in a transparent and verifiable manner and to ensure continuous quality improvement.
GPR Managing Director Achim Neyer is also pleased with this renewed confirmation: “Demonstrating the quality of the Institute for Laboratory Medicine at GPR is of great importance to me. Once again, this confirms the high quality of a key service area of our facility and, at the same time, underscores the high quality of the entire hospital.”