Biologically mediated corrosion and its effects on water quality in distribution systems

That water quality changes are related primarily to the oxidation of iron metal was indicated by results of an experiment with a simulated pipe loop system using tap water. A variety of aquatic microorganisms was observed and identified in the pipe loop system, among them the organisms that constitute the microbiotic cycles of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and iron transformation. With microbial growth, cast iron test specimens exhibited localized corrosion.