Abstract
The increases in per capita water consumption, coupled in part with global climate change have resulted in increased demands on available freshwater resources. Therefore, the availability of safe, pathogen-free drinking water is vital to public health. This need has resulted in global initiatives to develop sustainable urban water infrastructure for the treatment of wastewater for different purposes such as reuse water for irrigation, and advanced waste water purification systems for domestic water supply. In developed countries, most of the water goes through primary, secondary, and tertiary treatments combined with disinfectant, microfiltration (MF), reverse osmosis (RO), etc. to produce potable water. During this process the total bacterial load of the water at different stages of the treatment will decrease significantly from the source water. Microbial diversity and load may decrease by several orders of magnitude after microfiltration and reverse osmosis treatment and falling to almost non-detectable levels in some of the most managed wastewater treatment facilities. However, one thing in common with the different end users is that the water goes through massive distribution systems, and the pipes in the distribution lines may be contaminated with diverse microbes that inhabit these systems. In the main distribution lines, microbes survive within biofilms which may contain opportunistic pathogens. This review highlights the role of microbial community composition in the final effluent treated wastewater, biofilms formation in the distribution systems as the treated water goes through, and the subsequent health effects from potential pathogens associated with poorly treated water. We conclude by pointing out some basic steps that may be taken to reduce the accumulation of biofilms in the water distribution systems.
Highlights
‘Access to safe drinking-water is essential to health, a basic human right and a component of effective policy for health protection [1]’
The poor water chemistry in the main distribution lines will shape the microbiome in drinking water biofilms, enhancing the potential associations between opportunistic pathogens and indigenous drinking water microbes
A modern technology in water distribution systems that may reduce the rate of biofilm formation is the use of biofilm-inhibitive materials in making small-diameter pipes that can coat pipe interiors with agents that block biofilm formation growth
Summary
‘Access to safe drinking-water is essential to health, a basic human right and a component of effective policy for health protection [1]’. “Characterization of the Microbiome at the World’s Largest Potable Water Reuse Facility” by Stamps et al [6], the authors reported a 5-log reduction in total bacterial load between source, unchlorinated wastewater feed, and the final effluent after treatments consisting of microfiltration, reverse osmosis, and ultraviolet/advanced oxidation. They reported decreases in microbial diversity and load by several orders of magnitude after microfiltration and reverse osmosis treatment. Contaminated aerosols by devices such as cooling towers, hot tubs, whirlpools, decorative fountains, and showers that release water vapors, [14,19] are sometimes the main sources of infections to people
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