Water is an indispensable resource in daily life, serving critical functions such as drinking, cooking, food preparation, and vegetable washing. With the improvement of living standards, drinking water sources have expanded beyond boiled tap water to include household purified water. However, the issue of coliform bacteria exceeding regulatory limits in these drinking waters has emerged. This paper provides a brief analysis of the underlying causes.
Key Pollution Sources in the Drinking Water Production Process
- Inadequate disinfection of source water
Natural water bodies inherently contain microorganisms, including coliform bacteria. If water transported from external sources is not disinfected thoroughly, residual coliform bacteria will persist, directly resulting in substandard water quality.
- Factory environmental contamination
Airborne harmful substances in the production environment may contaminate drinking water during processes such as filling. Effective control of factory pollution sources—via specialized equipment and air purification methods—is important to reduce microbial intrusion at this stage.
- Packaging process contamination
Biofilms and other deposits on production equipment (e.g., machinery, pipelines) can harbor bacteria. Insufficient disinfection of these facilities during packaging may introduce contaminants into the water.
- Unsanitary packaging materials
Contaminated packaging materials can cause secondary cross-contamination, affecting previous purification outcomes. Rigorous cleaning and disinfection of packaging materials are therefore essential.
Post-Disinfection Monitoring
To ensure drinking water safety, disinfection alone is not enough. Post-disinfection, real-time monitoring of coliform bacteria levels using Online Coliform Analyzers is necessary to verify compliance with regulatory standards. Since disinfection efficacy cannot be visually assessed, such equipment plays an important role in maintaining the reliability of water quality.
