Microbiological Evaluation of Water Treated with Solvatten

The study evaluated the efficiency of caloric processing of water using Solvatten equipment for the inactivation of indicator microorganisms and Salmonella spp. This equipment uses solar irradiation and temperature to inactivate and eliminate microorganisms in the treated water. The experiment was divided into two phases: performing a water analysis and evaluating the efficacy of reducing indicator microorganisms and pathogens. A paired sample design with two levels, high and low inoculum, with five repetitions for indicators and three for pathogens was used. The statistical program SAS v 9.4 analyzed the data using a student's t-test with a significance level (P < 0.05). The dependent variables evaluated were the concentration of total aerobic plate count (APC), Enterobacteriaceae (ENT), Total Coliforms (CT), E. coli (EC), and Salmonella (SAL). The inactivation results were 98.77% for coliforms and Escherichia coli; and 99.90% for Salmonella, proving that Solvatten leads to a decrease in the populations of bacteria of interest from 2 to 4 log CFU/mL. The results suggest that communities with difficulty accessing potable water may use the Solvatten unit to reduce the risk of diseases caused by coliforms.