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Persistence of Fecal Coliform Indicator Bacteria on Alfalfa Irrigated with Municipal Sewage Lagoon Effluent¹

ABSTRACT

Fecal coliforms on alfalfa plants (Medicago sativa L.) irrigated with sewage lagoon effluent were completely destroyed by exposure to 10 hours bright sunlight. No decrease in numbers was observed in the absence of bright sunlight under cool, damp, overcast conditions. Exposure to 10 hours bright sunlight was adequate to destroy all the fecal coliforms present in raw sewage.

In the event that sewage treatment failures such as lagoon short-circuiting occurred while alfalfa was being irrigated with sewage effluent in the semiarid prairie region, livestock would be adequately protected from possible salmonella and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli infection if at least 2 sunny days elapse between the cessation of effluent irrigation and the consumption of the forage.

Key Words: coliform survival • E. coli • forage production • salmonella • sewage disposal • spray irrigation

¹ Contribution of Research Station, Agriculture Canada, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada T1J 4B1. Project No. 13.000.002.

² Research Scientist.

Received for publication January 28, 1975.