South East Water Microbial Source Tracking Project Ardingly

High nutrient inputs into water bodies, such as reservoirs, can result in an increase in algal blooms and costs associated with water treatment. Cyanobacteria (often referred to as ‘blue-green algae’) can be harmful to human health because of their production of harmful toxins. It is postulated that Ardingly Reservoir in South East England is being impacted by individual septic tanks (human faecal sources), because levels of cyanobacteria are increasing, whilst non-human sources of faecal contamination are thought to be well-understood and effectively managed. This study therefore aimed to elucidate the contribution and role of human faecal pollution in eutrophication processes within the reservoir site using microbial source tracking (MST) tools.