What is Coliform and Bacteria

     Last week, we talked about air pollution and we mainly focused on human behavior caused air pollution. This week, we are talking about water pollution. Although the major contribution to water pollution are industries activities, we are going to introduce how coliform and bacteria polluted the water, and they come from the nature.

     Coliform is a kind of bacteria, you can find it in soil plants and animals feces. The coliform family is made up by many groups, one of them is fecal coliform group, which is found in intestinal tracts of warm-blooded animals including human. If any fecal coliform found in drinking water or swimming pool, it would cause many diseases spread through fecal transmission. It considered safer if found fecal coliform in swimming pool than drinking water. It's a serious problem if found fecal coliform in drinking water. The most common illness of drinking or swallowing water contaminated with bacteria is diarrhea. Also, there are two other common waterborne diseases are giardiasis and cryptosporidiosis.

     In Ohio, many residents receive their drinking water from ground and surface water resources through private water system. Like wells, springs, ponds, rain water, cisterns and hauled water. The Ohio department of health requires that water provided from these systems be tested for a few basic contaminants upon completion of the private water system construction. Once that open permit receives final approval from the local health district, property owners need to take special precautions to ensure the protection and maintenance during the life time of their private water system. The requirement tests to get approve a private water system permit are total coliform bacteria, E.coli and nitrates.

     After read this post, people should be aware that if you are hiking or travel to some places which have springs or wells, the water may not capable for drink, they may contains many bacterias that make you sick.


This is a picture of a spring. Although it looks very beautiful and the water looks very clean, you should be aware of the water main contains many bacterias that make you sick.


This is a picture of toilet. If the waste water hasn't been handled carefully, contaminated the river and the drinking water system will cause a serious problem.