Microbiological Quality/Biostability of Reclaimed Water Following Storage and Distribution

Freshwater is becoming increasingly scarce as a result of increasing populations, changing precipitation patterns, and/or degradation of existing sources of water, making water reuse a necessity. While much attention to reclaimed water has focused on the quality of the water at the treatment plant, that quality can degrade by the time it gets to the point of use. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the physical, chemical, and biological factors that affect the microbial quality of reclaimed water within distribution systems is necessary. The project identifies the key chemical and physical water quality parameters that influence changes in microbial water quality in reclaimed water distribution systems and evaluates a novel assimilable organic carbon (AOC) assay for analysis of reclaimed waters. The results from this study were used to develop recommendations for system operators to control microbiological growth in reclaimed water systems.

Originally funded as WERF project Reuse-05-02.