Microbial Contamination of Groundwater in the Pinetop-Lakeside Area of Northern Arizona

From the Proceedings of the 1984 Meetings of the Arizona Section - American Water Resources Assn. and the Hydrology Section - Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science - April 7, 1984, Flagstaff, ArizonaThe Pinetop-Lakeside area located in southeastern Navajo County, Arizona, has experienced several outbreaks of probable waterborne gastroenteritis. The many on -lot sewage disposal systems, thin soils and fractured crystalline rock aquifers make this area especially vulnerable to biological degradation of the groundwater supply. This study was designed to assess the extent of bacteriological and virological contamination of groundwater and relationships between indicatior bacteria, coliphages and human pathogenic viruses. Twenty different wells were selected and monitored for conforms, fecal conforms, fecal streptococci, coliphages, enteric viruses, and various physical and chemical properties of the water. Extensive microbial contamination of the groundwater was observed, which increased dramatically after a period of heavy rainfall. Almost 90% of all well samples contained coiform levels in excess of drinking water standards.This article is part of the Hydrology and Water Resources in Arizona and the Southwest collections. Digital access to this material is made possible by the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science and the University of Arizona Libraries. For more information about items in this collection, contact anashydrology@gmail.com