Viruses in ground water

Waterborne disease outbreaks are often associated. with non-porous media aquifers, such as fractured bedrock (metamorphic rock) or karst (limestone) aquifers e.g. South Bass Island Ohio USA (Fong et al., 2007). In these aquifers, ground water flow is fast and direct with little opportunity for inactivation or attachment to the aquifer matrix. In addition, coarse, glacial flood, gravel-cobble aquifers also appear to have fast and direct ground water flow. In the United States, public water supplies may be either ground water or ground water under the direct influence of surface water, as determined by the State. For ground water (only) wells, fifteen public water supply wells in the United State representing several aquifer types are found to be enteric virus positive using BGM cell culture methods. Eight of these wells are located in fractured bedrock, karst or gravel-cobble aquifers and were enteric virus positive using BGM cell culture methods.