What is the purpose of bacteriological analysis of water?
Bacteriological water testing is a method of collecting water samples and analysing those samples to estimate the numbers of bacteria present. This note presents the background to the testing of water samples to determine whether disease-causing bacteria, in particular faecal coliforms, are present in water.
What bacteria is tested in well water?
Fecal coliform bacteria are a sub-group of total coliform bacteria. They appear in great quantities in the intestines and feces of people and animals. The presence of these bacteria indicates that your well water is contaminated with feces or sewage, and it has the potential to cause disease.
What is checked in the bacteriological examination of water?
Bacteriological analysis of water is performed to check the number of bacteria the water is contaminated with or simply it is a basic test for knowing about the water quality. So, the basic objective of this test is identification of various bacteria present in a water sample.
What are the bacteriological parameters of water?
Bacteriological quality is one of the important parameters of water potability. It is measured by the presence of a pollution indicator of organisms, in particular, total germs and fecal coliforms (Escherichia coli). Total germs represent the density of the bacterial population in drinking water.
What is bacteriological contamination of water?
The presence of coliform bacteria, specifically E. coli (a type of coliform bacteria), in drinking water suggests the water may contain pathogens that can cause diarrhea, vomiting, cramps, nausea, headaches, fever, fatigue, and even death sometimes. Safe drinking water does not have E. coli or other pathogens in it.
What are the symptoms of contaminated well water?
What are the most common symptoms of infected well water?
- flu-like symptoms.
- fever symptoms.
- abdominal cramps.
- diarrhea.
- nausea.
- fatigue.
- loss of energy.
- severe flu.
What tests should be done on well water?
Your local health department can assist in selecting tests important for assessing your drinking water. Include tests for coliform bacteria, nitrates, pH, sodium, chloride, fluoride, sulphate, iron, manganese, total dissolved solids, and hardness.
How do you carry out bacteriological analysis of water?
The laboratory procedure involves making serial dilutions of the sample (1:10, 1:100, 1:1000, etc.) in sterile water and cultivating these on nutrient agar in a dish that is sealed and incubated. Typical media include plate count agar for a general count or MacConkey agar to count Gram-negative bacteria such as E.
What should be the temperature for incubation for bacteriological test?
According to an EMA Q&A session, “Incubation Temperatures for Microbial EMP Samples ” it is important to use two temperatures 20 to 25°C for at least three days and 30 to 35°C for at least two days.
What is bacteriological quality?
Bacteriological water quality is defined in terms of the absence or presence of indicator organisms. Drinking water does not cause an infectious disease if it is free from indicator organisms [1]. Access to safe drinking water is one of the basic human rights and is extremely important for health.
What is bacteriological contamination?
Microbiological contamination refers to the non-intended or accidental introduction of infectious material like bacteria, yeast, mould, fungi, virus, prions, protozoa or their toxins and by-products.