Microbial community assembly and metabolic function in top layers of slow sand filters for drinking water production

Slow sand filters (SSFs) are widely applied to treat potable water; the removal of contaminants (e.g., particles, organic matter, and microorganism) occurs primarily in the top layer. However, the development of the microbial community and its metabolic function is still poorly understood. In the present study, we analyzed the microbial...

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...