Be Careful With Coliform Bacteria in Your Waters

WHAT ARE COLIFORM?

Coliform are a group of several types of bacteria from the same family which typically live and reproduce in the intestines of animals. Coliform bacteria can also be found in soil, surface water, and plants anywhere animal feces may be present.

WHAT IS E. COLI?
E. coli is an abbreviation for Escherichia coli, a genus and species of bacteria. E. coli is a member of the coliform group and is the predominant bacteria in the gut of warmblooded animals. The fact that it originates only in warm-blooded animals makes E. coli a better indicator than coliform of the potential for human diseases. A water test will give you results for both E. coli and total coliform. The presence of E. coli in water indicates direct contamination with fecal matter and therefore, the presence of diseasecausing microorganism.

Morfology of E. Coli

WHICH DISEASES CAN BE FOUND IN WATER
WHEN E. COLI IS PRESENT?
Disease-causing microorganisms are known as “pathogens” and include:
1. Bacteria that cause cholera and typhoid-fever
2. Protozoa that cause dysentery
3. Viruses that cause polio and hepatitis
3. Helminths such as roundworm and tapeworm

WHY WASN’T MY WATER TESTED FOR ALL MICROORGANISMS
THAT CAUSE DISEASES?
There are numerous water-borne diseases, each requiring a different method of detection, therefore, it is impractical to look for all the possible disease-causing microbes in water. Testing for Coliform is a good alternative to looking for all the disease-causing microbes. When coliform are found in groundwater, this indicates that the groundwater is being affected by surface water or surface activities. Because coliform originate on the land surface, it is used as a tracer for disease-causing bacteria. Since E. coli must originate in the gut of a warm blooded animal, its presence indicates contamination.

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