Microbiology of Potable Water

Olson, Betty H.; Nagy, L.

doi:10.1016/s0065-2164(08)70053-4

Cited by 55 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 184 publications

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“…The total number of biofilm bacteria reported within potable water distribution systems varies naturally but is generally on the order of 10 7 cells cm Ϫ2 (17,25,26). In this study, sparse biofilm coverage on glass surfaces was observed.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 56%

Accumulation and Fate of Microorganisms and Microspheres in Biofilms Formed in a Pilot-Scale Water Distribution System

Långmark

Storey

Ashbolt

et al. 2005

Appl Environ Microbiol

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The accumulation and fate of model microbial "pathogens" within a drinking-water distribution system was investigated in naturally grown biofilms formed in a novel pilot-scale water distribution system provided with chlorinated and UV-treated water. Biofilms were exposed to 1-m hydrophilic and hydrophobic microspheres, Salmonella bacteriophages 28B, and Legionella pneumophila bacteria, and their fate was monitored over a 38-day period. The accumulation of model pathogens was generally independent of the biofilm cell density and was shown to be dependent on particle surface properties, where hydrophilic spheres accumulated to a larger extent than hydrophobic ones. A higher accumulation of culturable legionellae was measured in the chlorinated system compared to the UV-treated system with increasing residence time. The fate of spheres and fluorescence in situ hybridization-positive legionellae was similar and independent of the primary disinfectant applied and water residence time. The more rapid loss of culturable legionellae compared to the fluorescence in situ hybridization-positive legionellae was attributed to a loss in culturability rather than physical desorption. Loss of bacteriophage 28B plaque-forming ability together with erosion may have affected their fate within biofilms in the pilot-scale distribution system. The current study has demonstrated that desorption was one of the primary mechanisms affecting the loss of microspheres, legionellae, and bacteriophage from biofilms within a pilot-scale distribution system as well as disinfection and biological grazing. In general, two primary disinfection regimens (chlorination and UV treatment) were not shown to have a measurable impact on the accumulation and fate of model microbial pathogens within a water distribution system. Biofilms are organized in highly efficient and stable ecosystems and play a major role in the sorption of planktonic microorganisms from the bulk water, including indicator bacteria as well as microbial pathogens (3,11,33). Furthermore, distribution pipe biofilms are also implicated in reducing the aesthetic (taste, color, and odor) and microbiological quality of water through the continual detachment of biomass into the bulk water. The importance of biofilm processes, including the attachment, penetration, and detachment of particles, has been recognized in recent years, and a range of studies investigating the fate of model pathogens and indicators such as coliforms (20, 21), legionellae (22), and viruses (27, 32) in a range of model water distribution systems have been undertaken. The limitation of these and similar studies, however, is that they have failed to apportion particle accumulation and loss to biological (i.e., inactivation and predation) and physical (i.e., detachment and disinfection) phenomena.During the current investigation, the effects of two primary disinfection methods, chlorination and UV treatment, on biofilm biomass and the fate of particles within naturally grown biofilms were investigated. The primary disi...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 56%

Accumulation and Fate of Microorganisms and Microspheres in Biofilms Formed in a Pilot-Scale Water Distribution System

Långmark

Storey

Ashbolt

et al. 2005

Appl Environ Microbiol

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“…A number of cultivation-based studies have attempted to describe the whole spectrum 00817 0 1999 IUMS of bacterial species present in drinking water, commonly yielding bacteria affiliated to the genera Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Alcaligenes, Flavobacterium, Moraxella and Arthrobacter (LeChevallier et al, 1987;Rogers et al, 1994;Tall et al, 1995;Ward et al, 1986;Olson & Nagy, 1984), but no information on the relevance and abundance of these organisms in their natural habitat could be gained. This is largely due to the lack of suitable cultivation approaches and, until recently, to the lack of appropriate methods to detect and monitor the in situ species composition of an ecosystem.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aquabacterium gen. nov., with description of Aquabacterium citratiphilum sp. nov., Aquabacterium parvum sp. nov. and Aquabacterium commune sp. nov., three in situ dominant bacterial species from the Berlin drinking water system

Kalmbach

Manz

Wecke

et al. 1999

International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology

171

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“…Several studies using cultivation-based approaches helped to characterize some bacteria residing in bulk water (25,42) or in biofilms at various points in the DWSS (17,19). In general, heterotrophic plate counts (HPC) are used to assess the overall bacterial quality of drinking water (32).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Composition and Dynamics of Bacterial Communities of a Drinking Water Supply System as Assessed by RNA- and DNA-Based 16S rRNA Gene Fingerprinting

Eichler

Christen

Höltje

et al. 2006

Appl Environ Microbiol

188

174

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Bacterial community dynamics of a whole drinking water supply system (DWSS) were studied from source to tap. Raw water for this DWSS is provided by two reservoirs with different water characteristics in the Harz mountains of Northern Germany. Samples were taken after different steps of treatment of raw water (i.e., flocculation, sand filtration, and chlorination) and at different points along the supply system to the tap. RNA and DNA were extracted from the sampled water. The 16S rRNA or its genes were partially amplified by reverse transcription-PCR or PCR and analyzed by single-strand conformation polymorphism community fingerprints. The bacterial community structures of the raw water samples from the two reservoirs were very different, but no major changes of these structures occurred after flocculation and sand filtration. Chlorination of the processed raw water strongly affected bacterial community structure, as reflected by the RNA-based fingerprints. This effect was less pronounced for the DNA-based fingerprints. After chlorination, the bacterial community remained rather constant from the storage containers to the tap. Furthermore, the community structure of the tap water did not change substantially for several months. Community composition was assessed by sequencing of abundant bands and phylogenetic analysis of the sequences obtained. The taxonomic compositions of the bacterial communities from both reservoirs were very different at the species level due to their different limnologies. On the other hand, major taxonomic groups, well known to occur in freshwater, such as Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes, were found in both reservoirs. Significant differences in the detection of the major groups were observed between DNA-based and RNA-based fingerprints irrespective of the reservoir. Chlorination of the drinking water seemed to promote growth of nitrifying bacteria. Detailed analysis of the community dynamics of the whole DWSS revealed a significant influence of both source waters on the overall composition of the drinking water microflora and demonstrated the relevance of the raw water microflora for the drinking water microflora provided to the end user.

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Microbiology of Potable Water

Cited by 55 publications

References 184 publications

Accumulation and Fate of Microorganisms and Microspheres in Biofilms Formed in a Pilot-Scale Water Distribution System

Accumulation and Fate of Microorganisms and Microspheres in Biofilms Formed in a Pilot-Scale Water Distribution System

Aquabacterium gen. nov., with description of Aquabacterium citratiphilum sp. nov., Aquabacterium parvum sp. nov. and Aquabacterium commune sp. nov., three in situ dominant bacterial species from the Berlin drinking water system

Composition and Dynamics of Bacterial Communities of a Drinking Water Supply System as Assessed by RNA- and DNA-Based 16S rRNA Gene Fingerprinting

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