Total Coliform and Escherichia coli Bacteria in Drinking Water

Why You Should Test For These Bacteria

The New York State Department of Health sets drinking water standards and has ruled that the presence of total coliform bacteria is a possible health concern and that the presence of Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria is a serious health concern.

Because of this the New York State Department of Health has ruled that for drinking water to be considered satisfactory it must be completely free of total coliform bacteria and E. coli bacteria.

Most financial institutions which lend money for home mortgages require that the water supply meet this standard.

How To Test For The Bacteria

Now through Life Science Laboratories, The Boquet River Association offers a complete line of water testing, whatever your needs. Before you take your sample, make sure you have the correct sample bottle. Sample bottles and paper work can be found at the BRASS office in Elizabethtown, the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Westport, and the Elizabethtown, Westport, Essex, and Willsboro Town Halls. Samples can be dropped off every Tuesday morning by 9:30 AM at the Elizabethtown Town Hall.

How to Take a Sample for Toal Coliform and E. coli:

  1. Get a pre-sterilized sample bottle from one of the locations listed above. See our price list for available tests and prices. Remember, BRASS members recieve a 10% discount!
  2. Thoroughly wash your hands.
  3. Let the water run for 2 minutes. Do not use water which passes through your hot water heater.
  4. Use the sterile container supplied by the lab. The white powder in the container belongs there - it is a chemical to help prepare the sample.
  5. Remove the plastic tamper seal from the bottle.
  6. Open the sample container by twisting the lid.
  7. Keep your hands and fingers away from the inside of the lid, from the inside of the container, and from the running water as you fill the container directly from the tap.
  8. Fill the container to the 100ml line marked on the side of the container.
  9. Keep the sample cool (in the refrigerator or in an ice chest) and bring it to the Elizabethtown Town Hall as soon as possible.
  10. Fill out the necessary paper work and attach payment made payable to Life Science Laboratories (samples left without payment will not be tested).

What Does The Laboratory Do and
What do The Test Results Mean?

The laboratory first tests your sample for the presence of total coliform bacteria.

Total coliform bacteria are common in the environment and can be associated with vegetation, soils, and may be blown about in the air. They are generally not harmful themselves. But if they are present they indicate the possibility that the water MAY be contaminated with organisms that can cause disease.

Notice the word MAY. The presence of these bacteria should be considered a warning. It may mean that surface water is getting into your water supply and that surface water could be carrying any one of a number of disease causing microorganisms.

If total coliform bacteria are found in the sample, the laboratory then tests further for the presence of a specific coliform known as Escherichia coli or E. coli     This is the only coliform proven to be of fecal origin (found in the feces of humans and other warm blooded animals).

These E. coli are usually not themselves harmful and everyone has them in their intestines. (There are a few deadly strains which make the news.) The presence of these E. coli in drinking water is of great concern because they are usually associated with sewage or animal wastes and indicate that the water is likely to be contaminated with other organisms which cause disease.

What To Do If Either Type of Bacteria is Present In Your Water

If either type of bacteria is present in your water supply you should do a basic sanitary survey of your system to see if you can find any possible way the bacteria could be contaminating the water. You may want to do a chlorine shock of your well and water supply.

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