Abstract
Abstract. Microbiology in Urban Water Systems (MUWS) is an integrated project, which aims to characterize the microorganisms found in both potable water distribution systems and sewer networks. These large infrastructure systems have a major impact on our quality of life, and despite the importance of these systems as major components of the water cycle, little is known about their microbial ecology. Potable water distribution systems and sewer networks are both large, highly interconnected, dynamic, subject to time and varying inputs and demands, and difficult to control. Their performance also faces increasing loading due to increasing urbanization and longer-term environmental changes. Therefore, understanding the link between microbial ecology and any potential impacts on short or long-term engineering performance within urban water infrastructure systems is important. By combining the strengths and research expertise of civil-, biochemical engineers and molecular microbial ecologists, we ultimately aim to link microbial community abundance, diversity and function to physical and engineering variables so that novel insights into the performance and management of both water distribution systems and sewer networks can be explored. By presenting the details and principals behind the molecular microbiological techniques that we use, this paper demonstrates the potential of an integrated approach to better understand how urban water system function, and so meet future challenges.
Highlights
1.1 The challengesUrban water systems are important for millions of people living in urban areas
The aim of this paper is to describe the work carried out in the Microbiology in Urban Water Systems (MUWS) project so far to permit the application of advanced microbial methods in drinking water distribution systems and sewer networks, highlighting the potential of our integrated approach
The differences in Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) patterns of the directPCR approach for both samples show that with the culturedependent approach we target a specific bacterial community that responds to the imposed enrichment
Summary
Urban water systems (e.g. drinking water distribution and sewers networks, wetlands and urban rivers) are important for millions of people living in urban areas They are major components of the water cycle and present unique challenges; the systems are large, complex, highly interconnected and dynamic, with variable hydraulics, input sources and behaviour. These large infrastructure systems have a major impact on people’s quality of life by preventing serious disease, protecting/enhancing the environment and reducing flood damage to other infrastructure, enabling economic and social development. Unlike earlier directives, which quantified environmental quality by simple physical and chemical parameters, the WFD aims to ensure that “good ecological status” is attained in all European
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