Waterborne pathogen monitoring in Jaipur, India reveals potential microbial risks of urban groundwater supply

A study on waterborne pathogens in Jaipur, India, reveals that conventional 100 mL grab sampling for E. coli may underestimate microbial risks in urban groundwater supplies. Despite the absence of culturable E. coli in 90% of samples (n=20) over a 10-day period, advanced methods like dead-end ultrafiltration (DEUF) and droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) detected genes associated with protozoan and bacterial pathogens (Giardia, Cryptosporidium, and enterotoxigenic E. coli) in three out of nine groundwater samples (volume 59 to 122.4 liters). Two of these positive DEUF samples corresponded to grab samples that tested negative for culturable E. coli, highlighting the limitations of traditional monitoring methods. This research underscores the need for more sensitive techniques to accurately assess and manage pathogen-specific risks in drinking water supplies.

Bivins, A., Lowry, S., Murphy, H. M., Borchardt, M., Coyte, R., Labhasetwar, P., & Brown, J. (2020). Waterborne pathogen monitoring in Jaipur, India reveals potential microbial risks of urban groundwater supply. Npj Clean Water, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-020-00081-3