This study investigated the effects of four operational and environmental variables on the removal of trace metal contaminants from drinking water by electrocoagulation (EC). Removal efficiencies for five metals (arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead and nickel) were compared under varying combinations of electrode material, post-treatment, water composition and pH. Iron electrodes out-performed alu...

As the provision of potable water is critical for successful habitation of the International Space Station (ISS), life support systems were installed in December 2008 to recycle both humidity from the atmosphere and urine to conserve available water in the Station. In-flight pre-consumption testing from the dispensing needle at the Potable Water Dispenser (PWD) indicated that bacterial concentr...

Recently, Escherichia species other than Escherichia coli have been isolated from potable water. Environmental isolates as well as clinical isolates of E. adecarboxylata, E. blattae, E. fergusonii, E. hermannii, and E. vulneris were assayed for the enzyme beta-glucuronidase by using EC MUG medium and the Colilert system. None of the isolates were positive for the enzyme by either method.

Seven species of bacterial select agents were tested for susceptibility to monochloramine. Under test conditions, the monochloramine routinely maintained in potable water would reduce six of the species by 2 orders of magnitude within 4.2 h. Bacillus anthracis spores would require up to 3.5 days for the same inactivation with monochloramine.

The literature on chemical cleaning of polymeric hollow fibre ultrafiltration and microfiltration membranes used in the filtration of water for municipal water supply is reviewed. The review considers the chemical cleaning mechanism, and the perceived link between this and membrane fouling by natural organic matter (NOM) – the principal foulant in municipal potable water applications. Existing ...

In Finnish lakes and rivers used as water supplies, mesophilic fungi and actinomycetes were common, whereas thermophilic fungi and actinomycetes were present only in low concentrations. Fungi and actinomycetes were more abundant in eutrophic and mesotrophic lakes than in oligotrophic lakes. River water contained more thermophilic actinomycetes and fungi and mesophilic actinomycetes than did lak...

OBJECTIVES: The key hypothesis of this project was that both chemical and physical factors associated with real plumbing systems may influence copper pitting and brass dezincification corrosion, and thus the project was aimed at better understanding these factors. In addition to a comprehensive review of the literature on brass dezincification in potable water systems, experimental work was und...