Water Microbiology Testing

Water Types

• Many different types of water are tested for their microbiological content, including public drinking water provided to residents by a city government. In addition, any body of water that will be used for recreational swimming must be tested, as must wastewater in some cases.

Microbe Types

• Laboratories conduct testing for a number of microbes. Drinking water is tested for E. coli in addition to the parasites cryptosporidium and giardia. Iron-related bacteria, fecal coliform and sulfate reducing bacteria are also common microbes that water is tested for.

Who Tests

• State governments are required to run tests on water microbiology in order to make sure that water provided to citizens is safe to drink or come in contact with. This testing must be done regularly. Many laboratories also offer testing services for private water supplies, such as homeowners who take their drinking water from a private well.