Microbiological water examination during laboratory courses generates new knowledge for students, scientists and the government.

Contaminated water is globally the main vehicle for microbial pathogens in most regions. Teaching future microbiologist and employees in the food industry on the importance of hygienically satisfactory water, microbiological analyses and how to ensure good water quality and safety is highly relevant. This paper presents a complete experimental design for water analyses as a tool to teach students the methods and other key elements in microbiology, including food safety, environmental dissemination and survival of microorganisms, laboratory practices, water legislation and critical evaluation of results. All results from the last 10 classes (2006-2015) in a university course on seafood microbiology have been compiled and are presented here. Questionnaires used with former students reveal that the laboratory course is highly appreciated, and that many students remember important aspects of the water analyses, even after several years. The questionnaire results were consistent with our perception that some students find calculation of dilutions difficult to comprehend. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved.