Bart De Gusseme

Abstract Maintaining microbial stability in drinking water distribution systems (DWDS) is a priority for water providers, yet operational events like flushing and the potential invasion of unwanted microorganisms pose significant challenges. This study utilized a pilot-scale DWDS to evaluate the susceptibility of drinking water networks after standard operational flushing procedures (with and without chlorination) as these procedures can alter biostability.

Abstract This study utilized a pilot-scale distribution network to examine the impact of temperature increases (16 °C, 20 °C, 24 °C) and source variations (treated ground- and surface water) on bulk and biofilm communities over 137 days. Microbial characterization employed flow cytometry and 16 S rRNA gene-based amplicon sequencing to elucidate bulk-biofilm interactions.

MICROBIOLOGICAL DRINKING WATER SAFETY STILL RELIES ON CENTURY-OLD METHODS Over time, humanity has addressed microbial water contamination in various ways. Historically, individuals resorted to products such as beer to overcome the health risks of drinking contaminated water (Antman & Flynn, 2022).