| Abstract |
| The role of biofilms in improving microbial quality in rainwater tanks is herein evaluated. We investigated microbial behavior after inoculation of the bacterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, in pilot and full-scale rainwater tanks with different surface-to-volume (S/V) ratios. In the pilot-scale experiments, there was a decrease in the total number of inoculated cells sampled from the water and from the bottom and wall surfaces of the tanks. Cell death contributed to the observed cell decline due to low-nutrient conditions. After four days, 99% of the inoculated P. aeruginosa had been removed from the water phase in pilot tank 2 and after five days in pilot tank 1. The faster removal rate in pilot tank 2 was due to the higher S/V ratio. In addition, the faster removal rate of planktonic P. aeruginosa in the full-scale tanks with high S/V ratios suggests that there is an optimal S/V ratio that ensures the removal of bacteria from rainwater tanks. These microbial observations on pilot and full-scale rainwater tanks lead us to conclude that biofilms play a significant role in improving the quality of stored rainwater. |
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| Key Words |
| Biofillm, Rainwater tank, Microbial Quality, S/V ratio |
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