Study to make water safer

Press, 1 November 1977, Page 11

Study to make water safer

A new study has begun at Lincoln College into the bacteria and other oganisms that can grow on the inside of water tanks, pipes, and taps. The study is being made in the department of microbiology under the direction of Professor A. P. Mulcock, who is seen on the left in the accompanying photograph, holding a container in which a rubber sample is being tested for its ability to

support the growth of micro-organisms. With him are Mr D. G. Ashton, of Shelter engineering, Ltd, and Dr Angela Ramsay, who is in charge of the project. Dr Ramsay began work on the project in August. She is a graduate of the University of Canterbury. Shelter Engineering, Ltd, a Dunlop company based in Christchurch, is providing all the funds for the study, including Dr Ram-

say’s salary. The firm is a supplier or water control an management methods and materials in New Zealand, Australia, the Pacific Basin and the East. Traditional material for constructing water tanks and reservoirs, such as concrete and galvanished iron, are being compared with fibre-glass, P.V.C., and rubber membranes. The purpose of the study is to test the suitability of materials for

use in contact with drinking water. The multiplication of micro-organisms on the surfaces of the materials is being studied. The research will also determine whether the materials support the growth of micro-organisms in water. The result of the research will be to help ensure that future reservoirs and water tanks are made from satisfactory materials.