What are the most common bacteria found in water?
Examples of dirty filters taken from PASLR customer water treatment systems in the Auckland area.
All water supplies that are not chlorinated or disinfected have the potential to harbour harmful bacteria. But what are the most common bacteria found in water and what can you do to make sure they don’t make their way into your home?
Safe drinking water is vital for the good health of you and your family and the people who visit your home or workplace. Water used for drinking, teeth cleaning, hand washing, bathing, showering, food preparation, and cooking needs to be free from harmful germs and chemicals.
If you’re on tank water supply there are a range of organic matter that can make its way into the supply including bird or animal droppings, leaves, soil or other garden debris, even the type of paint used on your roof can cause higher levels of lead in your water. The only way to guarantee safe water is through three-stage water filtration.
Cryptosporidium and Giardia
While they’re not actually bacteria, Cryptosporidium and Giardia are two of the most common nasties found in New Zealand’s drinking water. These two bugs are parasites and make their way into your gut where they do their damage.
You can’t see, smell or taste these parasites so you’ll have to wait (usually around seven days) until you get a bout of diarrhoea, stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting to know you’ve been infected. For some people, such as the very young or very old, Cryptosporidium can be life-threatening. And, if you’re unlucky enough to get infected with Giardia and don’t get it diagnosed or treated it can continue to come back.
Another thing to remember is that while the parasites are in your system and keep being expelled through your faeces, you are contagious and can infect others. Hand hygiene is super important during this time to avoid the spread.
Both these parasites can live in the environment for long periods, especially in lakes, rivers, streams and roof water.
Campylobacter, E. coli and Salmonella
These three fit into the bacteria category and again, hang out in the gut of infected people and animals. While we usually associate Salmonella with food poisoning, it can also be found in water. People infected with these bacteria usually get diarrhoea, and again, those who are more vulnerable, especially young children and older people, can get very ill. Along with diarrhoea, you will often have flu-like symptoms, nausea and vomiting.
The best way to avoid these nasties is to buy a water filter or ensure your home has whole house water filtration. If you’re on tank water, we always recommend three-stage water filtration which includes coarse and fine filtration plus UV disinfection such as the Davey Aquashield 2.0 or the Davey Microlene Centurion XS UV which offer whole of house solutions including pressure boosting and water treatment.
While filtration will remove the majority of nasties, taking it one step further with UV disinfection will guarantee to kill both parasites, viruses and bacteria. If you already have two-stage filtration, a Davey Microlene UV system can quickly and easily be added to your existing setup. Without altering the taste or odour of your water the system delivers safe, clean water – using the power of ultraviolet light for reliable, effective, chemical-free disinfection.