The effect of changing temperature conditions on the microorganism growth in drinking water – a case study

Abstract

Climate change affects the ecology of microorganisms in both water treatment systems and distribution systems. With rising temperatures and increasingly extreme weather events, conditions in the water supply network are changing, creating better opportunities for the growth and multiplication of microorganisms. The presented study hypothesizes that climate change contributes to an increase in water temperature in the water supply network of the Opole agglomeration, which in turn affects the quality parameters of water by increasing the number of heterotrophic bacteria. In the vast majority of water samples with a temperature of up to 15°C, laboratory analysis showed the presence of these microorganisms, with a maximum value of 50 CFU/1ml. However, in the case of water samples with a temperature above 15°C, a situation in which the number of microorganisms increased above 100 CFU/1ml was identified much more frequently. The recorded values do not pose a health risk to consumers, but they indicate a certain trend that allows us to assume the correctness of the adopted hypothesis. Such a situation requires 
verification of water disinfection methods in each case.