Douterelo, I. orcid.org/0000-0002-3410-8576, Sharpe, R..L, Husband, S. et al. (2 more authors) (2019) Understanding microbial ecology to improve management of drinking water distribution systems. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Water, 6 (1). e01325. ISSN 2049-1948
Abstract
Microorganisms in drinking water distribution systems (DWDS), and in particular the microbial communities that form biofilms on infrastructure surfaces, drive critical processes impacting water quality. This paper reviews knowledge, research approaches, and monitoring methods to consolidate understanding of the microbial ecology of DWDS. The review highlights how microbial characteristics and subsequent behavior can be broadly classified as common or complex. Common behavior relates to the ubiquitous and continual development of biofilms, consistent core communities, and mediated material accumulation. In contrast, the complex aspect relates to the shape, structure, and composition of the microbiome, defined by site‐specific properties such as supplied source water, pipe material, and hydraulic regimes. It is shown how the latest microbial tools and techniques can be applied to increase our understanding of DWDS ecology and how water utilities are starting to use this knowledge. This is not because of regulatory requirements, but in recognition that they provide valuable information facilitating proactive management and operation benefits to these critical yet aging systems, protecting water quality and public health in the process.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2018 The Authors. WIREs Water published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
Keywords: | biofilms; drinking water distribution systems; management; public health |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Engineering (Sheffield) > Department of Civil and Structural Engineering (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 18 Mar 2019 10:22 |
Last Modified: | 18 Mar 2019 10:22 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Wiley |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1002/wat2.1325 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:140663 |
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