The pipes through which our drinking water travels to make it to our homes and the purification plants designed to ensure the quality of our H2O are infested with millions of bacteria, according to research published recently in the journal Microbes and Environments.
In fact, according to the Lund University scientists responsible for the report, there can be up to 10 million bacteria in a single glass of clean drinking water. Fortunately, this bacteria is the good kind, but little was known about the different kinds of microbe colonies in these pipes.
That’s why Catherine Paul from the Swedish academic institution and her colleagues decided to study the diversity of microbial species that grow in water treatment plants and which coat pipes in the form of a biofilm. What they found was a “previously… unknown ecosystem.”
As Paul explained in a statement, “Formerly, you could hardly see any bacteria at all and now, thanks to techniques such as massive DNA sequencing and flow cytometry, we suddenly see eighty thousand bacteria per millilitre in drinking water… From having been in the dark with a flashlight, we are now in a brightly lit room, but it is only one room.”
Findings could help improve the quality of drinking water
This bacteria actually helps to purify the water that we drink, the study authors said. In fact, they may actually play a larger role in doing so than previously believed—playing a role as essential as purification plants themselves in making sure that each glass is free from harmful pathogens.
According to the authors, their findings have led to spirited discussions of the role of biofilms in maintaining the purity of drinking water within the industry itself. There are a couple of thousand types of bacteria in water pipes, they said, and it is likely that there is a link between the diversity of these microbes and the quality of our drinking water.
“We suspect there are ‘good’ bacteria that help purify the water and keep it safe – similar to what happens in our bodies. Our intestines are full of bacteria, and most the time when we are healthy, they help us digest our food and fight illness,” said Paul, and even though the study took place in Sweden, the results are universal and can be applied to any country in the world.
“The hope is that we eventually may be able to control the composition and quality of water in the water supply to steer the growth of ‘good’ bacteria that can help purify the water even more efficiently than today,” she added.
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Feature Image: Thinkstock
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