Apart from the visible signs and symptoms of sickness, fecal coliform bacteria can harm our health in more serious ways that include:

• Urinary tract infections
• Can cause typhoid (if you have not been inoculated)
• Gastrointestinal diseases
• Food poisoning

The volume and prevalence of coliform bacteria in wells can be affected by the time of year and meteorological conditions (heavy rains for example).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) establishes health standards for contaminants in drinking water.   The health standard for total coliform in drinking water established by the EPA is zero.

Coliform can be eliminated from drinking water in several ways.  These methods include:

• Disinfection by way of a continuous chlorine injection or feed system.
• Disinfection by means of a continuous Ozone injection, similar to a chlorine injection system.
• Shock Chlorination is used to disinfect well water at the well source. It is essentially a one-stop coliform elimination solution
• Reverse Osmosis uses different micron rated filters (from 0.2 to 2.0 microns in diameter and 1 -10 microns in length).
• Ultra-Violet (UV) systems.

For residential drinking water we use Ultra-Violet (UV) systems.  This is a very effective means to purify water, killing up to 99.99% of coliform bacteria at the point of water entry at the house.  The Ultra-Violet lamp emits powerful UV light that enters bacteria and modifies their DNA, rendering them incapable of reproducing or harming Humans.

A UV system installed at the point of water entry to the home is a cost effective and efficient option for a household to protect their water supply from damaging microorganisms.  A UV system consists of a steel cylinder that contains an internal UV lamp.  Water flows through the cylinder chamber and is exposed to intense UV light.  The microorganisms are rendered harmless by this intense light.