Direct evidence of microbiological water quality changes on bacterial quantity and community caused by plumbing system

Drinking water quality deteriorates from treatment plant to customer taps, especially in the plumbing system. There is no direct evidence about what the differences are contributed by plumbing system. This study compared the water quality in the water main and at customer tap by preparing a sampling tap on the water main. The biomass was...

Impact of Pipe Cover on Drinking Water Temperature

Drinking water temperature is an essential parameter for water quality related to the physical, chemical and biological processes in water. However, in many countries, the drinking water temperature has not been taken seriously and was excluded from water quality standards. For example, in the Netherlands, the temperature of drinking water...

Changes in biofilm composition and microbial water quality in drinking water distribution systems by temperature increase induced through thermal energy recovery

Drinking water distribution systems (DWDSs) have been thoroughly studied, but the concept of thermal energy recovery from DWDSs is very new and has been conceptualized in the past few years. Cold recovery results in a temperature increase of the drinking water. Its effects on drinking water quality and biofilm development are unclear. Hence, we...

Dynamics of Water Quality and Biofilm Formation in a Pilot Drinking Water Distribution System with and without Residual Disinfectants

Drinking water safety is of great concern all around the world. Two strategies can be pursued to maintain biological stable drinking water during distribution in the network: (i) without a residual disinfectant, in which bacterial growth is controlled by very low biodegradable nutrients in the water by extensive pre-treatment and a well...

Quantifying the effects of anthropogenic heat sources on the water temperature in the drinking water distribution system

The temperature of drinking water is an important parameter, affecting physical, chemical, biological and aesthetic properties of the water. Currently, measurements exceeding the legal limit of 25ᵒC at the tap are exceptional. However, there are reasons to believe that the number of exceedances will increase due to climate change and...

Assessing the transition effects in a drinking water distribution system caused by changing supply water quality: an indirect approach by characterizing suspended solids

Worldwide, it is common that the drinking water distribution systems (DWDSs) may be subjected to changes of supply water quality due to the needs of upgrading the treatment processes or switching the source water. However, the potential impacts of quality changed supply water on the stabilized ecological niches within DWDSs and the associated...

Effects of cold recovery technology on the microbial drinking water quality in unchlorinated distribution systems

Drinking water distribution systems (DWDSs) are used to supply hygienically safe and biologically stable water for human consumption. The potential of thermal energy recovery from drinking water has been explored recently to provide cooling for buildings. Yet, the effects of increased water temperature induced by this “cold recovery” on the...

Assessing the origin of bacteria in tap water and distribution system in an unchlorinated drinking water system by SourceTracker using microbial community fingerprints

The general consensus is that the abundance of tap water bacteria is greatly influenced by water purification and distribution. Those bacteria that are released from biofilm in the distribution system are especially considered as the major potential risk for drinking water bio-safety. For the first time, this full-scale study has captured and...

Hotspots for selected metal elements and microbes accumulation and the corresponding water quality deterioration potential in an unchlorinated drinking water distribution system

Biofilm formation, loose deposit accumulation and water quality deterioration in drinking water distribution systems have been widely reported. However, the accumulation and distribution of harbored elements and microbes in the different niches (loose deposits, PVC-U biofilm, and HDPE biofilm) and their corresponding potential contribution to...