Abstract
The concurrent use of karst aquifers as drinking water resources and receptors of combined sewer overflow lacking appropriate pre-treatment may cause conflicts between drinking water supply and storm water management. A storm water tank (SWT) for combined wastewater is identified as the source of sporadic contamination of a karst spring (Gallusquelle, “Schwäbische Alb”, SW Germany) used for public water supply. Spring water quality was examined by routine and event sampling and by evaluating physicochemical and microbiological parameters. The total number of microbial colonies growing at 20°C and the number of Escherichia coli colonies rose to values up to four orders of magnitude higher than background, 2–5 days after overflow of the SWT. High concentrations of chloride, sodium, and total organic carbon (TOC) and high values of turbidity coincide with this increase. However, high bacterial contamination is also observed while turbidity and TOC are low. Several wastewater-related organic micro-pollutants such as chlorinated and non-chlorinated organophosphates were detected in the SWT and, depending on their K ow values and their biodegradability, in lower concentrations at the spring.
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Acknowledgments
We are grateful to P. Knaus and co-workers from the water supply company Hermentingen for their assistance in sampling and for providing analytical data and infrastructure. R. Riehle and N.-A. Kummer helped with the analyses of the geochemical parameters. H. Kalmbach provided meteorological data. J. Barth, M. Rolle, and P. Larese-Casanova gave valuable suggestions to improve the manuscript. We further appreciate the comments by the anonymous reviewers. This work was supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG) under grant no. LI 727/10 and by an Emmy Noether fellowship to A. Kappler.
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Heinz, B., Birk, S., Liedl, R. et al. Water quality deterioration at a karst spring (Gallusquelle, Germany) due to combined sewer overflow: evidence of bacterial and micro-pollutant contamination. Environ Geol 57, 797–808 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-008-1359-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-008-1359-0