Class
Article
College
College of Science
Department
Biology Department
Faculty Mentor
Thayne Sweeten
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Abstract
The Bear River Health Department (BRHD) is one of the 13 local health departments that work to promote and protect the citizens of Utah. Within the department, there are dozens of divisions, one such overseeing maintenance and approval of public water systems and pools. Public water systems are prone to bacterial growth, whether caused by those that use these systems, construction, or simply an animal that slipped in. To solve this issue, BRHD and the state of Utah actively monitor these public systems to ensure the health of those that use them. This is done by measuring chlorine levels in the water system with spectrometry. During the incubation phase, water is tested for bacteria through a series of incubation tests that monitor coliform and Escherichia coli (E. Coli) levels. Lastly, the bacterial results are compared to acceptable levels provided by the state. If the sample comes back clean, the results are recorded. No further intervention is needed until routine sampling the next month. However, suppose the sample comes back dirty. In that case, the sampled area’s owners have 1-2 business days to re-sample the area and, if needed, correct whatever caused the bacterial build-up. Through active maintenance of these systems, the citizens of these towns are protected, and the town itself receives funds from the state due to caring for their citizens.
Location
Logan, UT
Start Date
4-12-2021 12:00 AM
Included in
Maintenance of Water Systems With the Bear River Health Department
Logan, UT
The Bear River Health Department (BRHD) is one of the 13 local health departments that work to promote and protect the citizens of Utah. Within the department, there are dozens of divisions, one such overseeing maintenance and approval of public water systems and pools. Public water systems are prone to bacterial growth, whether caused by those that use these systems, construction, or simply an animal that slipped in. To solve this issue, BRHD and the state of Utah actively monitor these public systems to ensure the health of those that use them. This is done by measuring chlorine levels in the water system with spectrometry. During the incubation phase, water is tested for bacteria through a series of incubation tests that monitor coliform and Escherichia coli (E. Coli) levels. Lastly, the bacterial results are compared to acceptable levels provided by the state. If the sample comes back clean, the results are recorded. No further intervention is needed until routine sampling the next month. However, suppose the sample comes back dirty. In that case, the sampled area’s owners have 1-2 business days to re-sample the area and, if needed, correct whatever caused the bacterial build-up. Through active maintenance of these systems, the citizens of these towns are protected, and the town itself receives funds from the state due to caring for their citizens.