Water Sample Results
Bacteriological Legend – Drinking Water
Definitions:
- Total Coliforms: total coliforms are organisms that are found all around us in the environment (ie on plants, animals and humans). They may or may not be harmful. Northern Health uses these organisms as indicator organisms. If total coliforms are found in the water, that indicates to the Environmental Health Officer (EHO) that other organisms may also be present.
- Fecal Coliforms: bacterial contamination from human or animal waste (feces).
- Escherichia coli: bacterial contamination from human or animal waste (feces).
Codes:
- A: means not tested; likely sample is too long in transit to the lab.
- B# (number) or BG: means the number of non-coliform background bacteria colonies. High numbers (>200) may indicate deteriorating water quality
- CFU: colony forming units
- E. Coli: means Escherichia coli.
- EST: means estimated count.
- L1: means less than 1 (<1) – essentially 0. Satisfactory.
- OG: means overgrowth of bacterial colonies; not possible to count coliform bacteria – unsatisfactory.
- R: means not tested; resample is likely required
- T: means not tested; likely sample is too long in transit to the lab.
- TNTC: means too numerous to countSimilar to OG – unsatisfactory.