europe of undetected biofilm in the water supply which has the potential to spread far and wide , possibly resulting in extremely expensive clean-up operations both in terms of finance and public reputation . Not to mention the threat to public health .

According to Professor Fricker , “ Once established , biofilm can be incredibly difficult to eradicate , even with high levels of chlorine and can become a permanent feature .”

Boil water notices and having to flush out systems are actions seen by customers as a sign of mismanagement and wastefulness , making the ability to spot contaminants early of paramount importance .

Professor Colin Fricker , highly regarded around the world and a thought leader in water microbiology warns that it is extremely important not to miss early signs of contamination in the water system . Independent studies have shown that some techniques which are widely used for detection of coliforms and E . coli have been shown to miss these vital early signs .

He said : “ Any methodology with a 10 percent false negative rate translates to one in 10 coliforms not being picked up . It is vital to detect coliforms because they are indicators of potential ingress into the water system and signs of contamination by more serious pathogens which are damaging to public health ”.

Colilert-18 presence / absence samples

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