Private water supplies, which are the primary source of drinking water for rural communities in developed countries, are at risk of becoming fecally contaminated. It is important to identify the source of contamination in order to better understand and address this human health risk. Microbial source tracking methods using human, bovine and general Bacteroidales markers were performed on 716 well water samples from southeastern Ontario, which had previously tested positive for Escherichia coli. The results were then geospatially analyzed in order to elucidate contamination patterns. Markers for human feces were found in nearly half (49%) of all samples tested, and a statistically significant spatial cluster was observed. A quarter of the samples tested positive for only general Bacteroidales markers (25.7%) and relatively few bovine specific marker positives (12.6%) were found. These findings are fundamental to the understanding of pathogen dynamics and risk in the context of drinking well water and will inform future research regarding host-specific pathogens in private well water samples.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
Research Article|
December 24 2013
Microbial source tracking and spatial analysis of E. coli contaminated private well waters in southeastern Ontario
Julia Krolik;
Julia Krolik
1Public Health Ontario Laboratories, 181 Barrie Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 4V6
2Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Queen's University, Richardson Laboratory, 88 Stuart Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6
Search for other works by this author on:
Gerald Evans;
Gerald Evans
2Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Queen's University, Richardson Laboratory, 88 Stuart Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6
3Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Queen's University & Kingston General Hospital, 76 Stuart Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 2V7
4Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Botterell Hall – Room 915, Stuart Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6
Search for other works by this author on:
Paul Belanger;
Paul Belanger
5Department of Geography, Queen's University, Mackintosh-Corry Hall, Room D201, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6 and Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Health Unit, 221 Portsmouth Avenue, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7M 1V5
6Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Carruthers Hall, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6
Search for other works by this author on:
Allison Maier;
Allison Maier
1Public Health Ontario Laboratories, 181 Barrie Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 4V6
Search for other works by this author on:
Geoffrey Hall;
Geoffrey Hall
7Department of Civil Engineering, Queen's University, Ellis Hall, 58 University Ave, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6
Search for other works by this author on:
Alan Joyce;
Alan Joyce
1Public Health Ontario Laboratories, 181 Barrie Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 4V6
Search for other works by this author on:
Stephanie Guimont;
Stephanie Guimont
1Public Health Ontario Laboratories, 181 Barrie Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 4V6
Search for other works by this author on:
Amanda Pelot;
Amanda Pelot
1Public Health Ontario Laboratories, 181 Barrie Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 4V6
Search for other works by this author on:
Anna Majury
1Public Health Ontario Laboratories, 181 Barrie Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 4V6
2Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Queen's University, Richardson Laboratory, 88 Stuart Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6
4Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Botterell Hall – Room 915, Stuart Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6
6Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Carruthers Hall, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6
E-mail: [email protected]
Search for other works by this author on:
J Water Health (2014) 12 (2): 348–357.
Article history
Received:
October 04 2013
Accepted:
November 24 2013
Citation
Julia Krolik, Gerald Evans, Paul Belanger, Allison Maier, Geoffrey Hall, Alan Joyce, Stephanie Guimont, Amanda Pelot, Anna Majury; Microbial source tracking and spatial analysis of E. coli contaminated private well waters in southeastern Ontario. J Water Health 1 June 2014; 12 (2): 348–357. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wh.2013.192
Download citation file: