APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Aug. 1991, p. 2233-2239
Vol. 57, No. 8
0099-2240/91/082233-07$02.00/0 Copyright C 1991, American Society for Microbiology
Growth Kinetics of Coliform Bacteria under Conditions Relevant Drinking Water Distribution Systems
to
ANNE K. CAMPER,'* GORDON A. McFETERS,2 WILLIAM G. CHARACKLIS,1 AND WARREN L. JONES' Center for Interfacial Microbial Process Engineering' and Department of Microbiology,2 Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717 Received 15 January 1991/Accepted 17 May 1991
The growth of environmental and clinical coliform bacteria under conditions typical of drinking water distribution systems was examined. Four coliforms (Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, and Enterobacter cloacae) were isolated from an operating drinking water system for study; an enterotoxigenic E. coli strain and clinical isolates of K. pneumoniae and E. coli were also used. All but one of the coliforms tested were capable of growth in unsupplemented mineral salts medium; the environmental isolates had greater specific growth rates than did the clinical isolates. This trend was maintained when the organisms were grown with low levels (
Vol. 57, No. 8
0099-2240/91/082233-07$02.00/0 Copyright C 1991, American Society for Microbiology
Growth Kinetics of Coliform Bacteria under Conditions Relevant Drinking Water Distribution Systems
to
ANNE K. CAMPER,'* GORDON A. McFETERS,2 WILLIAM G. CHARACKLIS,1 AND WARREN L. JONES' Center for Interfacial Microbial Process Engineering' and Department of Microbiology,2 Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717 Received 15 January 1991/Accepted 17 May 1991
The growth of environmental and clinical coliform bacteria under conditions typical of drinking water distribution systems was examined. Four coliforms (Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, and Enterobacter cloacae) were isolated from an operating drinking water system for study; an enterotoxigenic E. coli strain and clinical isolates of K. pneumoniae and E. coli were also used. All but one of the coliforms tested were capable of growth in unsupplemented mineral salts medium; the environmental isolates had greater specific growth rates than did the clinical isolates. This trend was maintained when the organisms were grown with low levels (
