scholarly journals Seasonal Dynamics in the Number and Composition of Coliform Bacteria in Drinking Water Reservoirs

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolin Reitter ◽  
Heike Petzoldt ◽  
Andreas Korth ◽  
Felix Schwab ◽  
Claudia Stange ◽  
...  

AbstractWorldwide, surface waters like lakes and reservoirs are one of the major sources for drinking water production, especially in regions with water scarcity. In the last decades, they have undergone significant changes due to climate change. This includes not only an increase of the water temperature but also microbiological changes. In recent years, increased numbers of coliform bacteria have been observed in these surface waters. In our monitoring study we analyzed two drinking water reservoirs (Klingenberg and Kleine Kinzig Reservoir) over a two-year period in 2018 and 2019. We detected high numbers of coliform bacteria up to 2.4 x 104 bacteria per 100 ml during summer months, representing an increase of four orders of magnitude compared to winter. Diversity decreased to one or two species that dominated the entire water body, namely Enterobacter asburiae and Lelliottia spp., depending on the reservoir. Interestingly, the same, very closely related strains have been found in several reservoirs from different regions. Fecal indicator bacteria Escherichia coli and enterococci could only be detected in low concentrations. Furthermore, fecal marker genes were not detected in the reservoir, indicating that high concentrations of coliform bacteria were not due to fecal contamination. Microbial community revealed Frankiales and Burkholderiales as dominant orders. Enterobacterales, however, only had a frequency of 0.04% within the microbial community, which is not significantly affected by the extreme change in coliform bacteria number. Redundancy analysis revealed water temperature, oxygen as well as nutrients and metals (phosphate, manganese) as factors affecting the dominant species. We conclude that this sudden increase of coliform bacteria is an autochthonic process that can be considered as a mass proliferation or “coliform bloom” within the reservoir. It is correlated to higher water temperatures in summer and is therefore expected to occur more frequently in the near future, challenging drinking water production.HighlightsColiform bacteria proliferate in drinking water reservoirs to values above 104 per 100 mlThe genera Lelliottia and Enterobacter can form these “coliform blooms”Mass proliferation is an autochthonic process, not related to fecal contaminationsIt is related to water temperature and appears mainly in summerIt is expected to occur more often in future due to climate changeGraphical abstract

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (32) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolin Reitter ◽  
Klaus Neuhaus ◽  
Michael Hügler

Surface waters are a major source for drinking water production. Therefore, it is essential to examine microbial processes within the water bodies, such as mass proliferations of coliform bacteria. Here, we report the draft genome sequences of Enterobacter spp., Lelliottia spp., and Serratia spp. isolated from drinking water reservoirs and lakes.


2002 ◽  
Vol 2 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 367-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Ribau Teixeira ◽  
H. Lucas ◽  
M.J. Rosa

The effect of the pH on the ultrafiltration performance of natural surface waters with moderate NOM content was evaluated at a laboratory scale using a plate-and-frame polysulphone membrane of 47 kDa MWCO. The results at three different pH values (acid, neutral and basic) demonstrated the important role of the pH on the ultrafiltration (UF) performance controlling the membrane - fouling matter interactions. The higher fluxes and lower natural organic matter (NOM) rejections obtained, at basic pH when compared to acid pH, are explained in terms of the variation of membrane and NOM charge, due to electrostatic repulsion and adsorption effects.


2000 ◽  
Vol 41 (7) ◽  
pp. 135-142
Author(s):  
P. Lipp ◽  
G. Baldauf

Measurements of parasites in surface waters in Germany showed that their presence is widely spread. Concentrations may reach values up to a maximum of 50 cysts per 100 l. Normally raw waters used for drinking water production show much lower values. In order to ensure sufficient parasite removal in drinking water treatment plants an enhancement of particle removal is required. For filtration processes parameters influencing particle removal are filter media, filtration velocity, flocculant dosage, preozonationand filter back wash. Moderate filtration conditions show best results. Three case studies show that preozonation, optimized energy input and use of flocculants improve particle removal. One case study shows results of the first ultrafiltration plant in Germany treating reservoir and spring water for drinking water production.


2007 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 137-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.F.M. Meuleman ◽  
G. Cirkel ◽  
G.J.J. Zwolsman

Climate change increases water system dynamics through temperature changes, changes in precipitation patterns, evaporation, and water quality and water storage in ice packs. Water system dependent economical stakeholders, such as drinking water companies in the Netherlands, have to cope with consequences of climate change, e.g. floods and water shortages in river systems, upcoming of brackish ground water, salt water intrusion, increasing peak demands and microbiological activity due to temperature rise. In the past decades, however, both water systems and drinking water production have become more and more inflexible; water systems have been heavily regulated aiming at maximum security and economic functions and the drinking water supply in the Netherlands has grown into an inflexible, but cheap and reliable, system. At a water catchment scale, flexibility and adaptation are solutions to overcome climate change related consequences. Flexible adaptive strategies for drinking water production comprise new sources for drinking water production, application of storage concepts in the short term, and a redesign of large centralized systems, including flexible treatment plants, in the long term. Transition to flexible concepts will take decades because investment depreciation periods of assets are long. These strategies must be based on thorough knowledge of current assets to seize opportunities for change.


2005 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 37-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.A.B. Ramaker ◽  
A.F.M. Meuleman ◽  
L. Bernhardi ◽  
G. Cirkel

Climate change increases water system dynamics through temperature changes, changes in precipitation patterns, evaporation, water quality and water storage in ice packs. Water system dependent economical stakeholders, such as drinking water companies in The Netherlands, have to cope with consequences of climate change, e.g. floods and water shortages in river systems, upconing brackish ground water, salt water intrusion, increasing peak demands and microbiological activity. In the past decades, however, both water systems and drinking water production have become more and more inflexible; water systems have been heavily regulated and the drinking water supply has grown into an inflexible, but cheap and reliable, system. Flexibility and adaptivity are solutions to overcome climate change related consequences. Flexible adaptive strategies for drinking water production comprise new sources for drinking water production, application of storage concepts in the short term, and a redesign of large centralised systems, including flexible treatment plants, in the long term. Transition to flexible concepts will take decades because investment depreciation periods of assets are long. This implies that long-term strategies within an indicated time path have to be developed. These strategies must be based on thorough knowledge of current assets to seize opportunities for change.


2004 ◽  
Vol 48 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 463-472
Author(s):  
Y.P. Tsai ◽  
T.Y. Pai ◽  
J.Y. Hsin ◽  
T.J. Wan

The study investigates the inactivation of biofilm bacteria colonized on the surface of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes delivering either groundwater or treated wastewater. It does so using a citric acid (C6H8O7) solution. The results of the study showed that the optimal conditions of the biofilm bacteria inactivation were over 10,000 mg/L citric acid concentration and 60 minutes of contact time at least. Under these conditions, the removal efficiency could reach above 99.999% for heterotrophic plate count (HPC) bacteria and 99.95% for coliform bacteria. The study also showed that the biofilm bacteria were the major sources of planktonic bacteria resuspended into water purified by drinking water production systems (DWPS).


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document