AWWA WQTC69340

This powerpoint presentation begins by presenting current challenges of human enteric viruses, including the following: regulatory framework uses coliform bacteria to assess pathogen risk in source and drinking waters; indicator bacteria not ideal for viruses; lack of co-occurrence in environment; differential susceptibility through treatment; waterborne disease outbreaks in coliform-negative waters; and, there is a need for a better predictor of viral risk. Topics covered include: indicator bacteria and viruses - correlations and contradictions; virus detection - methods and alternative indicators; and, Torque Teno Virus (TTV) - a potential indicator of enteric viruses. Presentation summary includes the following: traditional bacterial indicators appear to indicate pathogenic bacteria well, but not enteric viruses; lack of reliable correlation in surface waters, groundwaters, and treatment systems; waterborne outbreaks of virus etiology under coliform-negative conditions; coliphages and other enteric viruses proposed but not integrated into regulatory framework; TTV prevalence, temporal stability, and lack of pathogenicity differ from enteric viruses; and, viral analog to traditional bacterial indicators. Includes 19 references, tables.