Mount Margaret Reservoir (Qld) – E.coli
1/3/2024: Mount Margaret Reservoir. E.coli 1 CFU/100mL
The day the sample was taken, relevant staff were informed
the chlorine residual was 0.09 mg/L in the reservoir. This
triggered an immediate response to flush and manually dose
the reservoir with hypo. Public health was not compromised
due to this response. Mt Margaret Reservoir is currently
being assessed as a potential re-chlorination site.
E.coli
Thermotolerant coliforms are a sub-group of coliforms that are able to grow at 44.5 ± 0.2°C. E. coli is the most common thermotolerant coliform present in faeces and is regarded as the most specific indicator of recent faecal contamination because generally it is not capable of growth in the environment. In contrast, some other thermotolerant coliforms (including strains of Klebsiella, Citrobacter and Enterobacter) are able to grow in the environment and their presence is not necessarily related to faecal contamination. While tests for thermotolerant coliforms can be simpler than for E. coli, E. coli is considered a superior indicator for detecting faecal contamination…” ADWG