Poorly-managed and poorly-constructed latrines allow the excrement to get into groundwater, and in surface water bodies that supply drinking water. According to UNICEF, one gram of feces can contain 10,000,000 viruses, 1,000,000 bacteria, 1,000 parasite cysts, and 100 parasite eggs.

E.coli is a type of faecal coliform bacterium that is found only in faeces of humans and other warm-blooded animals. Presence of E.coli in water indicates faecal pollution and the possible presence of pathogenic types that often occur in the intestines as well.

Escherichia coli is a gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacterium of the genus Escherichia that is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms. Presence of E. coli in a water sample is a good indicator of recent faecal contamination.

According to a Canadian publication: “Although the presence of E. coli is a good indicator of recent faecal contamination, such contamination is often intermittent and may not be revealed by the examination of a single sample. Therefore, if a sanitary inspection shows that an untreated supply is subject to faecal contamination, or that treated water is subject to faecal contamination during storage or distribution or is inadequately treated, the water should be considered unsafe, irrespective of the results of E. coli analysis.” [Health Canada (2012). Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality: Guideline Technical Document — Escherichia coli. Water, Air and Climate Change Bureau, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario].

Who would have thought that E.coli could lead to a drastic action? According to the attached Act, it is now a crime to collect environment data in Wyoming, USA. Background information shows that streams in Wyoming are polluted by E.coli, caused by cattle grazing in the area, and perhaps, the ranchers are influential, and hence this Act.

F H Mughal