Abstract
This study was to observe the occurrence of heterotrophic bacteria in terms of free chlorine residuals in two different water distribution systems belong to both K and Y water treatment plant. The data analyzed in this study showed that in distribution systems(DS), the free chlorine residuals were decreased from 0.10 to 0.56 ㎎/1 for K, and 0.51 and 0.78 ㎎/l for Y The decay of free chlorine were clearly higher in both March and August than those in January. The HPC in DS were ranged from 0 to 40 CFU/ml for K,0 to 270 CFU/ml for Y, on R2A medium. In particular, Its level was relatively high at consumers' ground storage tanks, taps and point-of-end area of Y, The predominant genera found in the distribution systems were Acinetobacter, Sphingomonas (branch of Pseudomonas), Microroccus, Bacillus, Staphylococcus. The diversity of heterotrophic bacteria was increased in the end-point area. Most of them were either encapsulated cells or cocci of gram-positve. In conclusion, the point-of-end area in distribution systems showed that the longer flow distance from WTP the greater diversity and higher level of heterotrophic bacteria due to the significant decay of free chlorine residuals.