Bacteriological Analysis of Mineral Water and Drinking Water Supplies, in Mehsana, Gujarat

The bacteriological quality of drinking water supplies was undertaken for a movement towards self-awareness against waterborne diseases, such as diarrhoea and improved water management through increased community participation. The bacteriological quality of municipal water supplies and 10-L bottles of mineral water from water dispensers were comparatively studied. The samples were subjected to the detection of total coliforms, faecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, faecal streptococci, Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus spp. and heterotrophic plate count. The results showed that 35 % of the tap water samples from municipal water systems and 25 % of the 10-L bottles of mineral water from water dispensers were contaminated by at least one coliform or indicator bacterium and/or at least one pathogenic bacterium. This shows the need for an improved examination system for the bottled water industry. For the municipal water systems, it is recommended to perform the pseudomonas enumeration periodically, in addition to the routine data collected by most systems.