Seasonal Abundance of Fecal Indicators and Opportunistic Pathogens in Roof-Harvested Rainwater Tanks

Abstract

Here we provide seasonal data on the concentrations of total coliform, 'Escherichia coli' and 'Enterococcus' spp. and six opportunistic pathogens ('Acanthamoeba' spp., 'Legionella' spp., 'Legionella pneumophila', 'Mycobacterium avium', 'Mycobacterium intracellulare', and 'Pseudomonas aeruginosa') of public health significance in 24 tank water samples over six monthly sampling events from August 2015 to March 2006. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays were chosen for the quantification of six opportunistic pathogens and culture-based methods were used for the enumeration of fecal indicators. The data fle has been stored in a publicly available repository. The data on concentrations of opportunistic pathogens in RHRW will provide information for rainwater users regarding potential seasonality of risks. Quantitative data presented in this study can be used to perform quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) of RHRW for various potable and nonpotable uses. Data can be used by health regulators to develop guidelines related to RHRW. Funding statement: This research was undertaken and funded as part of a Fulbright-CSIRO Postgraduate Scholarship sponsored by the CSIRO Land and Water Flagship.

Keywords

• Roof-harvested rainwater
• opportunistic pathogens
• faecal indicator bacteria