Human Blood in the Water System

Health Department officials cut off the water supply to a funeral home located in a large southern city, after it was determined that human blood had contaminated the fresh water supply. City water and plumbing officials said that they did not think that the blood contamination had spread beyond the building, however, inspectors were sent into the neighborhood to check for possible contamination. The chief plumbing inspector had received a telephone call advising that blood was coming from drinking fountains within the building. Plumbing and county health department inspectors went to the scene and found evidence that the blood had been circulating in the water system within the building. They immediately ordered the building cut off from the water system at the meter.

Investigation revealed that the funeral home had been using a hydraulic aspirator to drain fluids from the bodies of human “remains” as part of the embalming process. The aspirator directly connected to the water supply system at a faucet outlet located on a sink in the “preparation” (embalming) room. Water flow through the aspirator created suction that was utilized to draw body fluids through a hose and needle attached to the suction side of the aspirator.

The contamination of the funeral home potable water supply was caused by combination of low water pressure in conjunction with the simultaneous use of the aspirator. Instead of the body fluids flowing into the sanitary drain, they were drawn in the opposite direction—into the potable water supply of the funeral home!