Aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms in tubercles of the Columbus, Ohio, water distribution system

Aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms were enumerated in tubercles collected from sections of the water distribution pipeline in the Columbus, Ohio, metropolitan area. Coliform bacteria were not detected in the tubercles examined. Sulfate-reducing bacteria were detected in 80% of the samples. Nitrate-reducing heterotrophs were present in all samples. The results, including plate counts of aerobic heterotrophs, indicated variation in bacterial densities depending on the tubercle sample and fraction examined. The associations among the viable counts obtained by the different culture methods were analyzed statistically, using three methods (Pearson, Spearman, and Kendall).