Abstract

Since water plays such a crucial role in human life, the importance of safe drinking water cannot be stressed enough. Natural water sources must be subjected to strenuous purification processes to ensure consumer safety for consumption. If these processes fail to make the water safe to drink, water-borne disease outbreaks may occur, causing people to become sick, and even die. These treatments must be monitored closely to ensure proper purification. Drinking water must be constantly checked for harmful microorganisms to ensure the water is still safe to drink once it reaches the population. This is a study of water purification and microbial testing. The history of water gathering and the evolution of water testing are documented, as are current methods of water purification and microbial testing. Descriptions of harmful microorganisms frequently implicated in water-borne disease outbreaks are included, along with the methods of purification and microbial testing at nine water purification facilities in Louisiana, and the problems associated with these methods. Also included are the violations of federal regulations and the actions taken against these facilities for the past ten years.