Question

The presence of high coliform counts in water indicate ____________.
A.Phosphorus contamination.
B.Hydrocarbon contamination.
C.Contamination by human wastes.
D.Decreased biological oxygen demand.

Answer 1

Hint: It's difficult, time-consuming, and costly to test drinking water for all potential pathogens. Checking for coliform bacteria is relatively simple and inexpensive. Treatment plant technicians work to identify the cause of pollution and recover clean drinking water if coliform bacteria are detected in a water sample.

Complete answer:
Organisms that are found in the atmosphere and in the urine of both warm-blooded animals and humans are coliform bacteria. It is not possible the coliform bacteria may cause sickness. Their presence in drinking water, however, suggests that the water supply could contain disease-causing organisms (pathogens). Many bacteria that can contaminate the flow of water come from humans or animals' faeces.

Three distinct types of coliform bacteria exist; each has a different risk level. Absolute coliform, coliform faecal, and E.Coli Both measures of the consistency of drinking water include coli. A broad set of numerous kinds of bacteria is the complete coliform community. The varieties of total coliform that mainly occur in faeces are faecal coliforms. E. Coli is a faecal coliform sub-group. It is checked for total coliform when a water sample is sent to a lab. The specimen will also be tested for either faecal coliform or E if complete coliform is present. E. Coli, depending on the form of lab study.

From these discussions we can conclude that the presence of high coliform counts in water indicate contamination by human wastes

Hence, the correct answer is option (C).

Note:Public water services are mandated to provide clean and secure drinking water 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to their customers. Consumers may become critically ill if the water source becomes polluted. Fortunately, several steps are taken by municipal water agencies to ensure the public has safe, clean drinking water. One of the most significant steps is to monitor the water annually for coliform bacteria.