Aims: To determine the persistence of the faecal indicator organism Escherichia coli in recreational coastal water and sediment using laboratory-based microcosms and validation with in situ measurements. Methods and Results: Intact sediment cores were taken from three distinct coastal sites. Overlying estuarine water was inoculated with known concentrations of E. coli and decay rates from both overlying water and sediment were determined following enumeration by the membrane filtration method at fixed time intervals over a 28-day period. It was demonstrated that E. coli may persist in coastal sediment for >28 days when incubated at 10°C. Escherichia coli survival was found to have an inverse relationship with temperature in both water and sediment. In general the decay rate for E. coli was greater in water than in sediment. Small particle size and high organic carbon content were found to enhance E. coli survival in coastal sediments in the microcosms. Conclusions: Results of this microcosm study demonstrated the more prolonged survival of E. coli in coastal sediments compared with overlying water, which may imply an increased risk of exposure because of the possible resuspension of pathogenic micro-organisms during natural turbulence or human recreational activity. Significance and Impact of the Study: A more accurate estimate of exposure risk has been described which may subsequently be used in a quantitative microbial risk assessment for recreational coastal waters.

The experience and perceptions of 80 people residing in four separate sites, which feature reclaimed water systems, are considered in this paper in relation to the benefits and costs of residential water reuse applications. Reclaimed water is used for non-potable applications by residents in Florida mainly for garden irrigation and in Australia for both irrigation and toilet flushing. All respondents value reclaimed water and although the benefit of water conservation is identified they are more enthusiastic about the personal cost benefit involved in using this cheaper alternative to potable water. Many are willing to handle the water but the extent to which this increased exposure is seen as a good development depends on the quality of information provided to users. In relation to reclaimed water for toilet flushing, there is a strong indication that the water conservation and cost saving benefit is small compared to the initial cost and the increased cross connection risk.

Aims: To identify the most efficient techniques for the separation of micro-organisms from coastal sediments and, using these techniques, to determine the concentration of faecal indicator organisms in recreational coastal water and sediment. Methods and Results: Sediment samples were taken from a range of recreational coastal sites and subjected to various physical techniques to separate micro-organisms from sediment particles. Techniques investigated included manual shaking, treatment by sonication bath for 6 and 10 min, respectively, and by sonication probe for 15 s and 1 min, respectively. The use of the sonication bath for 10 min was the most successful method for removing microorganisms from sediment particles where sediments consisted mainly of sand. When sediments contained considerable proportions of silt and clay, however, manual shaking was most successful. Faecal coliforms were then enumerated by membrane filtration in both water and sediment from three recreational coastal sites, chosen to represent different physical sediment characteristics, over a 12-month period. Faecal coliform concentrations were generally greater in sediment compared with overlying water for all samples. This was most evident in sediment consisting of greater silt ⁄ clay and organic carbon content. Conclusions: This study demonstrated the importance of sediment characteristics in determining the most efficient method for the separation of micro-organisms from coastal sediments. Sediment characteristics were also found to influence the persistence of microorganisms in coastal areas. Significance and Impact of the Study: Recreational coastal sediments can act as a reservoir for faecal coliforms; therefore, sampling only overlying water may greatly underestimate the risk of exposure to potentially pathogenic micro-organisms in recreational waters.

Waste stabilisation ponds (WSP) are efficient, cost-effective methods of treating wastewater in rural and remote communities in Australia. It is recognised that sunlight plays a significant role in their disinfection, however, due to the poor penetration of light in turbid waters it has been hypothesised that other mechanisms may also contribute to disinfection in WSPs. To date, studies have reported various and conflicting results with regards to the relative contributions of UVA, UVB, PAR and environmental factors including pH, DO and photo-sensitisers on micro-organism disinfection. Initially we investigated the role of these environmental factors on the solar disinfection of enterococci in buffered distilled water to control for potential confounding factors within the wastewater. Die-off rate constants were measured, in sterile buffered distilled water at varying pH and dissolved oxygen concentrations, for enterococci irradiated with UVA and UVB. Enterococci were found to be predominantly inactivated by UVB (p<0.001), however, UVA was also observed to increase inactivation rates relative to the dark control (p<0.001). DO and pH were found to have no effect on inactivation rate when enterococci were irradiated with UVB (p>0.05), however, when irradiated with UVA, both DO and pH were observed to further increase inactivation rates (p<0.01).

Aims: This study investigated the influence of water chemistry on copper solvation (cuprosolvency) by pure culture biofilms of heterotrophic bacteria isolated from copper plumbing. Methods and Results: Heterotrophic bacteria isolated from copper plumbing biofilms including Acidovorax delafieldii, Flavobacterium sp., Corynebacterium sp., Pseudomonas sp. and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia were used in laboratory coupon experiments to assess their potential for cuprosolvency. Sterile copper coupons were exposed to pure cultures of bacteria to allow biofilm formation and suspended in drinking waters with different chemical compositions. Sterile coupons not exposed to bacteria were used as controls. After 5 days of incubation, copper release and biofilm accumulation was quantified. The results demonstrated that cuprosolvency in the control experiments was influenced by water pH, total organic carbon (TOC) and conductivity. Cuprosolvency in the presence of biofilms correlated with the chemical composition of the water supplies particularly pH, Langeliers Index, chloride, alkalinity, TOC and soluble phosphate concentrations. Conclusions:The results suggest water quality may influence cuprosolvency by biofilms present within copper plumbing pipes. Significance and Impact of the Study: The potential for water chemistry to influence cuprosolvency by biofilms may contribute to the sporadic nature of copper corrosion problems in distribution systems.

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A thermal profiling study was undertaken at four depths at each of nine sites, and at the inlets and outlets of a large waste stabilisation pond (WSP). Results were collected simultaneously using a network of 42 thermistors and dataloggers. Profiles at each site were categorised as either "stratified" or "unstratified", and persistence analysis was used to determine the frequency and persistence of stratification events at each of the nine sites. Stratification was found to persist most strongly at the site furthest upwind in the WSP, with respect to prevailing wind during the study, leading to the conclusion that stratification induced short-circuiting will be greatest in this region of the WSP. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was constructed of the WSP, including an energy balance to predict the bulk stratification gradient in the pond. Environmental conditions and WSP inlet temperature during one day in June 2001 were used as boundary conditions. The pond thermal profiles measured during the profiling study, together with outlet temperature during the day, were used to validate the CFD model results. The model predicted mean pond temperature with a high degree of accuracy (r2 = 0.92). However it was evident that even modest winds (> or = 1.5 m/s) partially broke down stratification, leading to poor prediction of the gradient by the CFD model, which did not directly account for the impact of wind shear stress on mixing in the WSP.