What are coliform bacteria used as indicator of?

Coliform bacteria are often referred to as “indicator organisms” because they indicate the potential presence of disease-causing bacteria in water. The presence of coliform bacteria in water does not guarantee that drinking the water will cause an illness.

What does a positive coliform test indicate?

A positive coliform test means possible contamination and a risk of waterborne disease. A confirmed positive test for fecal coliforms or E. coli means you need to take action as advised by your water system.

What is the importance of coliform bacteria?

Coliform bacteria are defined as rod-shaped Gram-negative nonspore forming and motile or nonmotile bacteria that can ferment lactose with the production of acid and gas when incubated at 35–37°C. They are a commonly used indicator of sanitary quality of foods and water.

How does coliform bacteria get into water?

Coliform can enter your well through groundwater, surface water run-off, cracked or broken well parts, poor construction, and leaking septic tanks. Coliform in your well water can mean there are disease-causing organisms such as E. coli.

What does it mean if you have chloroform in your water?

Coliform is a large group with many different kinds of bacteria. Most Coliform bacteria are harmless. If Coliform bacteria (sometimes reported as Total Coliform) are found in your well water, it is an indication that disease-causing bacteria could get in the same way.

What is a safe level of coliform in drinking water?

Regarding the primary drinking water standards or health based standards, the concentration of total coliform bacteria and E. coli should be Absent, Negative, or < 1 colony-forming unit per 100 mls ( cfu/100 ml).

What diseases can coliform cause?

Escherichia coli is one of the most frequent causes of many common bacterial infections, including cholecystitis, bacteremia, cholangitis, urinary tract infection (UTI), and traveler’s diarrhea, and other clinical infections such as neonatal meningitis and pneumonia.

Is total coliform harmful?

Total coliforms are a group of related bacteria that are (with few exceptions) not harmful to humans. A variety of bacteria, parasites, and viruses, known as pathogens, can potentially cause health problems if humans ingest them. EPA considers total coliforms a useful indicator of other pathogens for drinking water.

What are symptoms of coliform bacteria?

As stated above, some types of coliform bacteria can cause disease. The most common symptoms are an upset stomach, diarrhea, and/or flu-like symptoms. Most healthy adults will have mild symptoms. However, people with weak immune systems, the very young, or the very old may have severe to possibly fatal illness.

Can you drink water with coliform?

Coliform bacteria are unlikely to cause illness. However, their presence in drinking water indicates that disease-causing organisms (pathogens) could be in the water system. If testing detects coliform bacteria in a water sample, water systems search for the source of contamination and restore safe drinking water.

How do you fix coliform bacteria in well water?

Shock chlorination is the process by which home water systems such as wells, springs, and cisterns are disinfected using household liquid bleach (or chlo- rine). Shock chlorination is the most widely recommended means of treating bacterial contamination in home water systems.