Chapter 1
Microbial Contamination of Drinking
Water
Shakti Rath
1.1 Introduction
Water is one of the most essential components of our life and the availability of
freshwater is limited on earth. In the last three decades, there has been a continuous
decline in the availability of potable water all over the world due to increasing water
pollution and global warming (Bi et al. 2018). The “Safe Drinking Water Act”
coined the term “contaminant” which means any type of waste substance in the
physical, chemical, or biological form found in the drinking water (Allaire et al.
2018). Drinking water is never 100% free from impurities. It naturally contains
contaminants, mostly chemicals and microorganisms due to anthropogenic activities
(Fawell and Nieuwenhuijsen 2003). However, if the level of the contaminants
increases above the safe limit, then the water becomes unfit for drinking. It has
also been well established that water has always remained a major source of
infection and morbidity among mankind from time immemorial (Edokpayi et al.
2018).
1.1.1 Types of Drinking Water Contaminants
Water contaminants can be classified into four major categories,
S. Rath (*)
Faculty of Dental Sciences and Nursing, Central Research Laboratory, Institute of Dental
Sciences, Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
A. Singh et al. (eds.), Water Pollution and Management Practices,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8358-2_1
1
Microbial Contamination of Drinking
Water
Shakti Rath
1.1 Introduction
Water is one of the most essential components of our life and the availability of
freshwater is limited on earth. In the last three decades, there has been a continuous
decline in the availability of potable water all over the world due to increasing water
pollution and global warming (Bi et al. 2018). The “Safe Drinking Water Act”
coined the term “contaminant” which means any type of waste substance in the
physical, chemical, or biological form found in the drinking water (Allaire et al.
2018). Drinking water is never 100% free from impurities. It naturally contains
contaminants, mostly chemicals and microorganisms due to anthropogenic activities
(Fawell and Nieuwenhuijsen 2003). However, if the level of the contaminants
increases above the safe limit, then the water becomes unfit for drinking. It has
also been well established that water has always remained a major source of
infection and morbidity among mankind from time immemorial (Edokpayi et al.
2018).
1.1.1 Types of Drinking Water Contaminants
Water contaminants can be classified into four major categories,
S. Rath (*)
Faculty of Dental Sciences and Nursing, Central Research Laboratory, Institute of Dental
Sciences, Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
A. Singh et al. (eds.), Water Pollution and Management Practices,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8358-2_1
1