Abstract
Abstract Six surface water sources used to wash milking equipment and provide drinking water to the animals on dairy farms in Eastern Ontario were characterized for microbial and physico-chemical characteristics over a 16 month period. The water sources were selected because they had a history of microbial contamination and presented a wide selection of physico-chemical characteristics. Results are discussed with respect to available on-site disinfection technologies. Total and fecal coliforms were detected in over 90% of all water samples, Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp. in 77%, Clostridium perfringens and Yersinia enterocolitica in about 50%, Campylobacter spp. in 36%, and Salmonella in 25%. For all pathogens, counts were highly variable, and maximum values were 1 to 2 orders of magnitude higher than the medians. On-site disinfection systems will have to be designed to deactivate the highest count of pathogens, thereby providing a conservative safety margin for most of the year. Disinfection technologies will also have to be selected based on physico-chemical characteristics of the water sources, especially the level of hardness, turbidity and UV transmittance which can adversely affect their efficiency. On some farms, a pretreatment such as coagulation flocculation will be necessary to make the surface water suitable for low-cost disinfection technologies.
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