Drinking water microbiology: desired and undesired microbiota, legislation, outbreaks and analysis

Water being a fundamental part of all living things is unique in nature, ubiquitous and needed every day for consumption so as to facilitate the metabolic process of the body, processing of food items and other domestic purposes. The taste, color and odor of water can be affected when contaminants in the form of pesticides, animal or human fecal materials is released into drinking water, making it unsafe and unfit for human consumption. According to World Health Organization (WHO), quality water going into distribution system should be devoid of coliform bacteria in 100ml of water. 95% water sample must contain no trace of E.coli in 100ml of the water sample throughout the year. No water sample should possess more than 10 coliforms organism in 100ml and no coliform organism should be seen in at least 100ml of at least two (2) consecutive samples. The Escherichia coli and coliform bacteria is used as indicators to prove if the water sample is safe and fit for consumption. Drinking water can convey some diseases which are threats to public health safety and they include cholera, typhoid fever, gastroenteritis diseases etc. Conventional and current methods employed in the assessment of drinking water are to prove the safety and quality of the water, but some limitations have been observed during the assessment. Finally, with proper regulatory and legislative measures in place to govern drinking water, the desired target of drinking water devoid of E.coli and coliforms as pollutants can be achieved.