Reproducible microbial community dynamics of two drinking water systems treating similar source waters

Potgieter, S., Dai, Z., Havenga, M., Vosloo, S., Sigudu, M., Pinto, A. and Venter, S. (2021) Reproducible microbial community dynamics of two drinking water systems treating similar source waters. ACS ES&T Water, 1(7), pp. 1617-1627. (doi: 10.1021/acsestwater.1c00093)

Full text not currently available from Enlighten.

Abstract

Understanding whether the spatiotemporal dynamics of the drinking water microbiome are reproducible in full-scale drinking water systems is an important step in devising engineering strategies for effectively managing and manipulating it. However, direct comparisons across full-scale drinking water systems are challenging because multiple factors, from source water to treatment process choice and configuration, can be unique to each system. This study compared the spatiotemporal dynamics of the drinking water microbiome in two drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) with identical sequences of treatment strategies. These DWTPs treat source waters from the same river system and treated drinking water is distributed within the same large-scale distribution system (DWDS) with similar disinfectant residual regiments. Dissimilarities in source water communities were tempered by the predisinfection treatments, resulting in highly similar postfiltration microbial communities between the two systems. However, high community turnover due to disinfection resulted in highly dissimilar microbial communities in the finished water between the two systems. Interestingly, however, the degree of similarity of the microbial communities in the two systems increased during transit through the DWDS despite the presence of a disinfectant residual. Overall, our study finds that the drinking water microbiome demonstrated reproducible spatial and temporal dynamics within both, independent but nearly identical, DWTPs and their corresponding DWDSs.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Dai, Zihan
Authors: Potgieter, S., Dai, Z., Havenga, M., Vosloo, S., Sigudu, M., Pinto, A., and Venter, S.
College/School:College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering
Journal Name:ACS ES&T Water
Publisher:American Chemical Society
ISSN:2690-0637
ISSN (Online):2690-0637
Published Online:10 June 2021

University Staff: Request a correction | Enlighten Editors: Update this record