Bacterial water quality in the personal water bottles of elementary students.
BACKGROUND
Samples of drinking water were collected directly from the personal water bottles of students at an elementary school in Calgary, Alberta.


METHODS
Total and fecal coliforms and heterotrophic bacteria were enumerated using membrane filtration and agar plate count methods respectively.


RESULTS
The Canadian Drinking Water Quality Guidelines (CWQG) criterion was exceeded for total coliform in 13.3% of 75 samples. Fecal coliform and total heterotrophic criteria were exceeded in 8.9% (of 68 samples) and 64.4% (of 76 samples) respectively.


RESULTS
The use of personal water bottles for students in elementary classrooms is not recommended.
D000416:Alberta; D002648:Child; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004326:Drinking; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D019064:Product Packaging; D013334:Students; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis*