Coliform Bacteria in Water: What It Is and Why You Should Mind

Little do we know, the public is still skeptical about the safety of their drinking water. Who can blame them? Society has been terrifying enough to trust that even water, nowadays, can be dangerous. Only to consider that water is one of the most important necessities of people.

Questions on the safety and portability of drinking water have been a part of human curiosity. Moreover, it has been bugging people ever since. We still do not trust if we are taking in water that is safe for consumption or luring ourselves to what should not be.

In all fairness, there is no harm in doubting the safety of drinking water nowadays. Various harmful components, like fluoride, have been tested and found to be present in drinking water, and many attempts have been made to keep it safe.

One of the most common particles that is no surprise to everyone is coliform bacteria in drinking water. What is coliform, and why should you mind them being in your water?

Coliform Bacteria – A Natural Flora of the Body

There is no need to feel alarmed. Coliform is a microorganism naturally present anywhere, from the earth's soil and vegetation to the normal flora of the gastrointestinal system of warm-blooded animals, including humans.

Scientifically, it is defined as rod-shaped Gram-negative bacteria that are non-spore-forming and non-motile. It can ferment the lactose at a temperature between 35-37 degrees. As part of the intestinal tract, the bacteria are also found in human feces once excreted out of the body.

There are different types of bacteria (coliform is a family of different strains). The most common among them is the total coliform. The most common strain is the fecal coliform and Escherichia coli. These strains are found in the intestinal tract of humans and animals and are a sub-type of fecal coliform.

These are the three most identified in the species because they indicate the quality of your drinking water.

Coliform Bacteria – What are Their Indications?

Water tests are done to observe and study if total coliform is present. Afterward, it will again be tested to detect the presence of fecal coliform and Escherichia coli.

The most common type, total coliform, is generally harmless. Fecal contamination is typically ruled out if this strain is found in the water. However, this does not mean water is safe for consumption since bacteria can still enter the body. In this case, the source must be identified, and sanitation must be provided.

In any case, total coliform isn't harmful. Most types of coliform do not affect human well-being. Instead, total coliform is a warning sign that your water supply is in danger of contamination from other illness-causing pathogens.

If fecal coliform bacteria are present in the water, this becomes a serious problem. As the name suggests, these bacteria come from the feces of warm-blooded creatures, including humans. Fecal coliforms can enter your water supply through a falling flat septic system or spill over water infected by animals or agriculture.

If your water contains fecal coliforms, quickly change to bottled water. Fecal coliforms don't show the presence of toxic pathogens, but they are a sign of high risk.

E. coli is the most reliable marker of contamination from harmful waterborne illnesses. If your water contains E. coli, you should change to bottled water quickly.

Deductively known as Escherichia coli, these coliform bacteria are generally harmless.

Less a bunch of toxic strains. Manifestations of the disease include cramping, sudden and serious diarrhea, fatigue, and fever. What's more, difficulties can include iron deficiency, urinary tract infections, respiratory disease, pneumonia, kidney failure, and death.

How Common Are Coliform Bacteria?

Coliform Bacteria in WaterWhat It Is and Why You Should Mind

Coliform bacteria are among the most well-known water contamination issues in private water systems throughout the United States. A 2006 study of 450 private wells discovered coliform microorganisms in around 35 percent. And E. coli microorganisms in around 15 percent of private wells.

Coliform bacteria are considerably more typical in springs and shallow wells. Compared with deeper wells, bacteria are normally sifted through by soil and rock as surface water penetrates the ground. Deeper wells (more than 100 feet) can, in any case, be defiled by coliform bacteria if they are inappropriately developed.

Enable surface water to stream along with the good packaging directly into the deep groundwater, or if nearby land uses contaminate deep groundwater.

How Does This Affect My Health?

This poses greater health risks to the public. Again, it is important to identify the source and eradicate the bacteria. Once fecal contamination is identified, E. coli tests are run to determine whether the specific sub-strain is detected.

Escherichia coli are the most common bacteria that receive media scrutiny. On the contrary, it is a pathogen already present in the body.

Once this coliform is present in large quantities, it can cause or be opportunistic for various conditions, such as diarrhea, respiratory tract infections, and urinary tract infections. Once coliform is present, the body's immune system is compromised.

Even though it can be considered harmless inside the body, it still poses significant risks to one's health. Once it is released into the open and contaminates water systems through the feces in drinking water, this becomes a threat, as do other diseases like those mentioned above.

Drinking-Water Standards

Most bacteria in the coliform group don't cause disease; however, the more prominent their number, the greater the probability that disease-causing microorganisms might be present. Since coliform bacteria often remain in the water longer than most disease-causing organisms, the lack of coliform bacteria prompts the presumption that the water supply is microbiologically safe to drink.

Hence, the drinking water standard requires that coliform bacteria, fecal coliform, and E. coli bacteria be absent from drinking water.

What About Pathogens Other Than E. coli?

Water health is more critical than E. coli. Other potentially destructive pathogens include parasites like Giardia and Cryptosporidium and more than 100 waterborne infections.

Giardia is a microscopic parasite that causes the diarrheal disease giardiasis. It's found in regions polluted with feces from contaminated humans or animals and is generally transmitted through drinking water.

Cryptosporidium is another microscopic parasite that causes gastrointestinal ailments. It may be transmitted through unsanitary drinking water and is among America's most well-known causes of waterborne infection.

Besides, although Giardia, Crypto, and infections are regularly found within sight of coliform, they can likewise be found without it.

Are You at Risk of Coliform Contamination?

State and federal governments require public water supplies to include safe levels of coliform bacteria. This is generally accomplished through water chlorination. In any case of E. coli contamination, your public water system must inform you.

The well-being of a private water supply is the sole duty of the good owner. So, wells with a missing or faulty well top, poor sealing, flooding, or cracks can allow coliform bacteria to enter your water supply. Inaccurate water treatment can likewise create a situation for coliform development.

Do a Survey at Your Home

Bacteria from sources like leaking septic tanks, barnyard run-off, or flood events can enter open wells on the surface. Don't have water-tight casings or tops. Or don't have a seal of grout in the space (the space between the mass of the well and the outside of the good packaging).

It is imperative to attempt to distinguish the source of the contamination. And take measures to shield your well from pollution. To begin your search for potential issues, start with close to home. Survey your well:

Are there neighboring livestock?

Are pesticides being used on adjacent rural yields or nurseries?

Do you use lawn fertilizers close to the well?

Is your well "downstream" from your septic system or your neighbor's?

Is your well situated near a street often salted or showered with de-icers amid winter?

Do you or your neighbors dispose of family wastes or used engine oil on the terrace, even in small amounts?

If any of these conditions apply, it might be best to have your water tested. Talk with your local health division or agricultural extension specialist to discover ways to change practices that can disturb your private well.

What First Step Should You Take?

In conclusion, coliforms are already present everywhere. But this does not mean they are not something to be bugged about. This is not a minor thing to compromise, and we should wait for the risks to finally come into the picture.

This type of bacteria can cause mild to severe gastrointestinal and respiratory disorders, ranging from watery stool and violent diarrhea to pneumonia.

There are many efficient ways to eradicate this bacteria from drinking water. One method is boiling water for 7-10 minutes. Although this can potentially kill bacteria, it does not guarantee a 100% elimination rate.

Boiling

Boiling water for about one minute successfully eliminates bacteria. This strategy is often used to sanitize water during crises or while outdoors. Oiling requires time and power. Nonetheless, it supplies a small amount of water. It's not a long-term or consistent choice for water supply disinfection.

Ozonation

Currently, ozonation is being considered more as a strategy for treating water quality issues, including bacterial contamination. Like chlorine, ozone is a solid oxidant that eliminates bacteria. Yet, a considerably more unpredictable gas must be produced nearby using electricity.

Then, the ozone is created, and it is infused into the water, where it kills the bacteria. Ozonation units are commonly not prescribed for disinfection. Since they are considerably more expensive than chlorination or UV light systems, they might be valuable when dealing with numerous water quality issues, such as disinfection in a mixture with iron and manganese removal.

Iodination

Iodine, like chlorine, has been used before to sanitize water regularly. Iodination is never again considered a lasting disinfection alternative because of concerns about well-being, and it has been identified as a long-term risk to low levels of iodine remaining in the water. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prescribes iodination for short-term or emergency disinfection. Iodine tablets are a well-known option among campers and hikers for water disinfection.

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