2016 November + 2016/17 – Tea Tree Gully (South Australia) – E.coli, Temperature

Tea Tree Gully (South Australia) – E.coli

November 23 2016: Tea Tree Gully (South Australia) – E.coli 1 cfu/100ml

Escherichia coli should not be detected in any 100 mL sample of drinking water. If detected
in drinking water, immediate action should be taken including investigation of potential
sources of faecal contamination.

“Coliforms are Gram-negative, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped bacteria that are capable of aerobic and facultative anaerobic growth in the presence of bile salts or other surface active agents with similar growth-inhibiting properties. They are found in large numbers in the faeces of humans and other warm-blooded animals, but many species also occur in the environment.

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 2011

Tea Tree Gully – South Australia – Temperature

November 23 2016: Tea Tree Gully (South Australia) Cameila St – Temperature 21C

December 21 2016: Tea Tree Gully (South Australia) Cameila St – Temperature 24C

January 18 2017: Tea Tree Gully (South Australia) Cnr North East Rd/Hancock Rd – Temperature  24C

January 25 2017: Tea Tree Gully (South Australia) Cameila St – Temperature 26C

February 16 2017: Tea Tree Gully (South Australia) Cnr North East Rd/Hancock Rd – Temperature  25C

February 22 2017: Tea Tree Gully (South Australia) Cameila St – Temperature 26C

March 14 2017: Tea Tree Gully (South Australia) Cnr North East Rd/Hancock Rd – Temperature  22C

March 22 2017: Tea Tree Gully (South Australia) Cameila St – Temperature 26C

April 18 2017: Tea Tree Gully (South Australia) Cnr North East Rd/Hancock Rd – Temperature  22C

April 24 2017: Tea Tree Gully (South Australia) Cameila St – Temperature 22C

GUIDELINE

“No guideline is set due to the impracticality of controlling water temperature.
Drinking water temperatures above 20°C may result in an increase in the number of
complaints.

Temperature is primarily an aesthetic criterion for drinking water. Generally, cool water is more palatable than warm or cold water. In general, consumers will react to a change in water temperature. Complaints are most frequent when the temperature suddenly increases.

The turbidity and colour of filtered water may be indirectly affected by temperature, as low water temperatures tend to decrease the efficiency of water treatment processes by, for instance, affecting floc formation rates and sedimentation efficiency.

Chemical reaction rates increase with temperature, and this can lead to greater corrosion of pipes and fittings in closed systems. Scale formation in hard waters will also be greater at higher temperatures…

Water temperatures in major Australian reticulated supplies range from 10°C to 30°C. In some long, above-ground pipelines, water temperatures up to 45°C may be experienced…

The effectiveness of chlorine as a disinfectant is influenced by the temperature of the water being dosed. Generally higher temperatures result in more effective disinfection at a particular chlorine dose, but this may be counterbalanced by a more rapid loss of chlorine to the atmosphere (AWWA 1990).

Chlorine reacts with organic matter in water to produce undesirable chlorinated organic by-products, and higher temperatures increase the rate of these reactions.

Temperature can directly affect the growth and survival of microorganisms. In general the survival time of infectious bacteria and parasites is reduced as the temperature of the contaminated water increases.

Australian Drinking Water Guidelines 2011