Testing for every possible pathogen in water would be time consuming, complicated and expensive. You can test for indicator organisms as a way of assessing the microbiological safety of drinking water. Escherichia coli (E. coli) and thermotolerant coliforms are often used as indicator organisms for fecal pathogens. When these microorganisms are present in water, fecal contamination is likely. This brief describes three main test methods to detect the presence of indicator bacteria in drinking water: Presence-Absence (P-A), Most Probable Number (MPN), and Membrane Filtration (MF).
Testing for every possible pathogen in water would be time consuming, complicated and expensive. You can test for indicator organisms as a way of assessing the microbiological safety of drinking water. Escherichia coli (E. coli) and thermotolerant coliforms are often used as indicator organisms for fecal pathogens. When these microorganisms are present in water, fecal contamination is likely. This brief describes three main test methods to detect the presence of indicator bacteria in drinking water: Presence-Absence (P-A), Most Probable Number (MPN), and Membrane Filtration (MF).
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