Five chromium steel dead-end water pipes were installed over a distance of 12 km along the Zurich city drinking water distribution system. Cell counts were determined in two series of four samplings in fresh water and stagnating water using three different methods. The colony counts of oligocarbon tolerant bacteria (1:10 diluted plate count agar, 20 degrees C, 14 d) in the fresh water was increasing along the distribution line. Initially there were counts around 1 CFU ml-1 and after 12 km between 120 and 1100 CFU ml-1. Water taken from house tabs showed higher colony counts than water taken after reservoirs. After a stagnating time of 14 d all 40 water samples showed aftergrowth from 10(3) up to 10(4) CFU ml-1. Water from the two sampling locations with the longest distance from the treatment plant showed less regrowth tendency. Epifluorescence microscopy and the INT-method for determining the electron transport system positive bacteria (ETS+) were less useful for monitoring bacterial regrowth. However, in the stagnating water there occurred a significantly higher percentage of ETS+ units as compared to the colony forming units (CFU) with growing distance from the treatment plant.