Bacteria in Your Water

How To Detect Bacteria In Water 

Turbidity is the apt descriptor of cloudy water with suspended solids. While the water itself is not harmful to humans, the suspended solids can act as an impediment to the disinfection process and provide an ideal environment for microbial growth. 

The best way to tell if there is bacteria in your water is always to have it tested, although there are signs to recognize if you suspect you might have a problem with your water:

• Water begins leaving unusual or heavy staining around fixtures and drains, may be rust colored
• Water takes on an unpleasant (rotten eggs or moldy) smell
• Water is cloudy or discolored

If your water shows any of these symptoms, stop drinking and using it immediately it and call your local water authority.

Even if your water shows no outward signs of contamination, make it a habit to test your water at least once a year. If you use use well water, test it 6-12 months to ensure your supply is safe. You should also schedule a water test any time you do septic repairs or upgrades to ensure the work hasn’t impacted your water quality.

Treatment Options For Water Bacteria

While some of the common bacteria can be treated by boiling water, like giardia and cryptosporidium, others are more difficult to eliminate from drinking water. In those cases, you’ll want to be sure you’re treating water with a reverse osmosis filtration system to effectively remove problematic bacteria.

If you live in an area that’s prone to boil orders, near a large agricultural or industrial area, or source water from an unreliable well, it makes sense to invest in a quality water filtration system for your home to ensure you always have access to fresh, filtered drinking water.  

To protect yourself and your family from bacteria found in tap water, there are several options to choose from —whether you want filtration just at the kitchen sink, or a whole house of filtered water free from bacteria.

The type of treatment you need can depend on a variety of factors. Another common form of disinfection technology is UV. Culligan's UV Disinfection System within its whole home UV water purification solution can be added to your filter or softener to eliminate 99.99% of bacteria, viruses, mold and other waterborne contaminants such as protozoa. 

Get a free water test from your local Culligan Water to see what could be lurking in your water. Sometimes, positive bacteria tests are a result of one-time contamination and may only require shock chlorination treatment. This requires a coliform bacteria test, followed by a period of retesting over a two- to three-month period. If this does not work, a more permanent solution is in order.

For private springs, shock chlorination rarely works, as water runs through the spring too quickly to contact the chlorine needed to eliminate the bacteria. 

Common Types of Bacteria In Water 

Total Coliform – Coliform are a naturally-occurring and usually benign bacteria very common in the environment. While not always an indication of a problem in your water in themselves, they can signal that other types of coliforms, like fecal coliforms, could be in the supply. Read more below.

Fecal Coliform – As its name might suggest, fecal coliform indicates water has been contaminated by human or animal waste, commonly as a result of heavy runoff near agricultural areas. Fecal coliform contamination can cause stomach issues when ingested, ranging from mild upset for young and healthy people to more severe symptoms for children, expecting mothers, the elderly, and those who may already be immunocompromised.

E.coli – Having made its share of headlines, E.coli may be the most recognizable bacteria in water. As a form of fecal coliform bacteria, E.coli in water presents the same symptoms and is generally caused the same way (agricultural runoff, septic system malfunction, well or water infrastructure breakdown). Some forms of E.coli can be more serious than general fecal coliforms, especially for vulnerable members of the population.

Legionella – Legionella is also a commonly occurring bacteria. It becomes problematic when it’s aerosolized — or airborne — as it would if you were using legionella-contaminated water for an air conditioning unit, or to shower with (where legionella bacteria would form steam that could then be inhaled). Like coliform contamination, legionella contamination typically occurs through breakdowns in water infrastructure and/or during storms, floods, or other periods of increased runoff.

Giardia & Cryptosporidium – Found all over the world, giardia and cryptosporidium are a parasites that cause severe stomach upset when ingested. They are also closely associated with poor sanitation, waste-contaminated, or otherwise untreated water, and can be caused when runoff near agricultural areas exceeds the capacity of water infrastructure and treatment.

One of the most common water quality problems in private wells and springs is bacterial contamination. Coliform bacteria, fecal bacteria and E. coli can cause serious gastrointestinal illnesses. 

Bacteria can also cause aesthetic issues. Iron-eating bacteria leaves behind waste deposits, causing sludge in your bathroom and kitchen fixtures. It also can react with hydrogen sulfide to cause the rotten egg smell you may be familiar with in your drinking water. 

Bacteria is not always a persistent contaminant. It may the issue of a one-time contamination caused by a faulty well cap, new pump installation or surface runoff from heavy rainfall. 

The issue can be a seasonal occurrence, as bacteria naturally thrives in warmer environments, all of these issues can be more prevalent in the spring and summer months.