What is E. coli? Where does it come from? How can water be treated to protect against E. coli?
E. coli is short for Escherichia coli. E. coli is a type of fecal coliform bacteria commonly found in the intestines of animals and humans. E. coli comes from human and animal wastes. During rainfalls, snow melts, or other types of precipitation, E. coli may be washed into creeks, rivers, streams, lakes, or groundwater.

When these waters are used as sources of drinking water and the water is not treated or inadequately treated, E. coli may end up in drinking water. The water can be treated using chlorine, ultra-violet light, or ozone, all of which act to kill or inactivate E. coli. Santa Rosa’s water is naturally filtered and properly treated to eliminate E. coli.

Show All Answers

1. Is our drinking water safe?
2. How will I know if my water is contaminated?
3. What is being done to protect the water supply impacts from the fire?
4. Is the water from my well safe to drink?
5. Where does tap water come from?
6. Why is the drinking water stored in large tanks on hillsides?
7. What is the best choice of drinking water: bottled or tap water?
8. My tap water sometimes has an odd taste and odor. Why?
9. What can I do to avoid taste and odor in my tap water?
10. Is my tap water safe to drink?
11. Does Santa Rosa fluoridate its drinking water?
12. Is fluoride in my drinking water safe?
13. What is water hardness?
14. What are the health effects associated with hard water?
15. What is the conversion factor for mg/L of hardness to grains per gallon of hardness?
16. How do I set my water softener correctly?
17. What is the white residue on pots and pans after I boil water?
18. If I am on a salt-restricted diet, will the sodium in drinking water hurt me?
19. What are total coliform bacteria?
20. What is E. coli? Where does it come from? How can water be treated to protect against E. coli?
21. How often do you test tap water for total/fecal coliform?
22. Why is water tested for total/fecal coliform only?
23. What can cause the tap water to be cloudy or milky?
24. What can cause tap water to smell like bleach?
25. Sometimes water coming out of my tap is brown or has sediments in it. Why?
26. What should I do if I turned on a faucet, and the water coming out is discolored?
27. What is wrong if I smell a rotten egg odor when I run water in the house?