Abstract
Microbial regrowth in drinking water distribution systems (DWDS) is a major concern in the water supply industry. Detailed knowledge of the microbial community in DWDS will be of great importance for assessing the microbiological risks of drinking water. The spatial heterogeneity of microbial community structures in the bulk waters of a large real DWDS was investigated using 16S rRNA clone library analysis. The results indicate that high residual chlorine in drinking water could not control microbial regrowth in DWDS. The bacterial communities in the bulk waters were spatially heterogenic, mainly composed of Alphaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria (or Cyanobacteria). Microorganisms from the genera Acinetobacter, Sphingomonas and Gemella were detected, implying there is microbiological risk from drinking water. This work provides new insight into microbial ecology in DWDS.
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