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Invisible risks: microbial contamination of drinking water between source and point of use in Indigenous communities of Colombia
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DOI：10.3389/frwa.2026.1880933.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
IntroductionAccess to safe drinking water remains a critical challenge in rural and Indigenous communities; where infrastructure gaps and household-level practices can compromise water quality between collection and consumption. While most research focuses on source water safety; deterioration between source and point of use remains underexplored; particularly in Indigenous contexts in Latin America.MethodsIn this study; we compared microbial and physicochemical water quality between stored and non-stored water samples in two Indigenous communities located in environmentally contrasting regions of Colombia: one in the arid north and one in the humid Amazon region. Samples were categorized based on whether they had undergone household storage prior to consumption and analyzed for physicochemical and microbiological parameters using non-parametric tests and Fisher’s exact tests for presence/absence of total coliforms and Escherichia coli.ResultsStored water samples were 38 times more likely to test positive for total coliforms than non-stored samples (OR = 38.16; p < 0.001); and E. coli was detected exclusively in stored samples; consistent with fecal contamination introduced post-collection. No significant differences were found in physicochemical parameters; indicating that microbial contamination is not detectable through these indicators alone.DiscussionThese findings highlight the presence of microbial contamination in stored drinking water at the point of use and contribute to a growing body of evidence calling for water safety frameworks that consider not only source water quality; but also the practices and conditions that influence water safety from source to consumption.
Keywords:
E. coli
water storage
coliform bacteria
drinking water safety
microbial water quality
post-collection contamination
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