TREATED WATER FOR IRRIGATION V. WATER MICROBIOLOGY

The microbiology of treated water is an aspect to be taken into account when using treated water for irrigation, due to the possibility of contamination by different pathogenic microorganisms that can affect the health of our irrigation workers or even our users of sports facilities, whether golfers, footballers or others.

The most important biological groups to consider are the following:

1. Virussuch as Poliovirus, Hepatitis A, Echovirus, Cocksacckie or Rotavirus, which can cause diseases such as Poliomyelitis, Hepatitis, Fevers and diarrhoea, vomiting and gastroenteritis.
2. Bacteriasuch as Vibrio cholerae, Salmonella typhi, Salmonella parat, Shigella spp, Leptospira spp, capable of causing diseases such as Cholera, Typhoid, Paratyphoid, Bacillary dysentery or fever.
3. Protozoasuch as Entamoeba histolytica, Giarda lamblia, which cause liver disease or diarrhoea. Cryptosporidium is a parasitic protozoan that can cause the disease cryptosporidiosis. Giardia causes giardiasis, a diarrhoeal disease. Both intestinal diseases are the most common waterborne diseases. These protozoa are also not easily removed from water by commonly applied chemical treatments.

Ecological research has shown that Escherichia coli bacteria indicate that the water has been contaminated by faecal contamination and that there is therefore a risk that the water is contaminated by micro-organisms of enteric origin.

We have to be very responsible with the quality of the water we pour on our lawns because of the consequences and responsibilities we may be affected if we lose control of it.

As these are difficult to determine, Escherichia coli has proved to be an ideal marker in microbiological water analysis (indicator micro-organism). Thus, total coliforms and faecal coliforms are presented.

The bioassays are toxicity tests and consist of seeing how the water's capacity to develop living organisms has been modified by the use of the water. One example is based on the measurement of the inhibition of the motility and reproductive capacity of the plactonic crustacean Daphnia magna in the presence of toxicants.

Microtox is a bioluminescence toxicity test, "Microtox", based on the measurement of the reduction of light emission of the luminescent bacterium Vibrio fischeri in the presence of toxic substances.

Don't neglect to do frequent water analysis in your field. In these summer seasons the WWTPs are working at maximum performance due to the population peaks generated by tourism. Contact us at info@tiloom.com if you have any doubts in this respect about the quality of the water in your installation.