AWWA JAW71677

To make good decisions, you need good data. Unfortunately, conventional total coliform and Escherichia coli data may not provide an accurate picture of system conditions because the current method to collect that data may not always indicate the presence of contaminants. The authors found that increasing the sample volume, and thus the analytical resolution, would enhance the usefulness of data obtained through water quality monitoring. The new sampling method would increase the effective sample size 200-fold, from 100 mL to 20 L. This straightforward, high-volume method was developed specifically to provide higher resolution of the concentration of total coliforms and E. coli in water. With this improved information, utilities can better characterize treatment and system quality, determine the location of microbial problems in the system, verify that mitigation efforts were successful, and ultimately make better decisions about resource allocation and system maintenance. Includes 14 references, tables, figure.