[Source: State Press] – Ridding tap water of bacteria with chemicals is a common practice in America, but one Biodesign Institute researcher is finding benefits to putting the bacteria back in.
The use of microbial agents to decontaminate tap water has long been the standard in Europe, but an American bias against bacteria has led to the use of chemicals to treat water instead, said Bruce Rittman, director of the Center for Environmental Biotechnology in the Biodesign Institute.
“We’re trying to manage the microorganisms to do the job we want them to do, and be happy about it,” Rittmann said Monday in a lecture on the Tempe campus.
For more information: Researcher: Bacteria in tap water can be beneficial