ABSTRACT
The maintenance of the quality of water systems that are utilized for consumption by humans and livestock, agriculture and other essential activities is highly imperative from a microbiological point of view. Groundwater is an essential source of potable water worldwide, and microorganisms can infiltrate these groundwater aquifers via different sources and pathways that include seepage of untreated sewage, leachate from sanitary landfills, urban and agricultural run-off. The occurrence and survival of pathogenic microorganisms in different sources of water increase the risk of waterborne diseases; a large part of this risk can be associated with the introduction of faecal matter. Faeces are a rich source for a plethora of pathogens including Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Escherichia coli, Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia lamblia, hepatitis viruses, enteroviruses and Norwalk-group viruses. Microbial source tracking (MST) is an up-and-coming and robust tool to identify the most significant sources of microbial contamination and evaluate the potential microbial risk assessment. This chapter aims to elucidate the significance of MST in groundwater resources pertaining to human health and well-being of the environment. Microbial indicators of faecal pollution and various microbiological methods, both past and presently utilized in the field, are also described.
