Bacterial characterization of Beijing drinking water by flow cytometry and MiSeq sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene

Flow cytometry (FCM) and 16S rRNA gene sequencing data are commonly used to monitor and characterize microbial differences in drinking water distribution systems. In this study, to assess microbial differences in drinking water distribution systems, 12 water samples from different sources water (groundwater, GW; surface water, SW) were analyzed by FCM, heterotrophic plate count (HPC), and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. FCM intact cell concentrations varied from 2.2 × 103 cells/mL to 1.6 × 104 cells/mL in the network. Characteristics of each water sample were also observed by FCM fluorescence fingerprint analysis. 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that Proteobacteria (76.9–42.3%) or Cyanobacteria (42.0–3.1%) was most abundant among samples. Proteobacteria were abundant in samples containing chlorine, indicating resistance to disinfection. Interestingly, Mycobacterium, Corynebacterium, and Pseudomonas, were detected in drinking water distribution systems. There was no evidence that these microor...