: : MEDIA / CASE STUDY : :

PROPOSAL PAPER FOR THESIS PROJECT
UNIVERSITI KEBANGSAAN MALAYSIA 2004/2005
MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF PROCESSING WATER AT HIESTAND (M) SDN. BHD.
BY : SITI ZUBAIDAH BT. MUSA a(A 90815)
SUPERVISOR : DR. NORRAKIAH ABDULLAH SANI.

Introduction:
In England and Wales, the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2000 amend, for a limited period, the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 1989 and on January 2004, revoke and replace those regulations. They are primarily concerned with the quality of water supplied, in England and Wales, for drinking, washing, cooking and food preparation for domestic proposes and for food production, and also with arrangements for the publication of information about water quality. Owing to the possible presence of water~ borne pathogens, in small numbers and intermittently, and the technically demanding methods used for their detection, portable water is examined instead for the presence of organisms indicative of faecal pollution, usually total and (especially) faecal coliforms or E. coli. These are relatively easy to isolate and enumerate and, if found, imply that pathogens may also be present. As well as providing evidence of possible faecal contamination in a water supply, colony counts can also give an indication of the overall microbiological quality of the water. Each water supply, depending on its source, level of nutrient and degree of treatment, will tend to have colony counts that are fairly constant although there may be seasonal variations.

Objectives:
To study microbiological quality of processing water at Hiestand factory.

Main objectives:
a) To compare water quality from JBA sources and the water supply system after the filtration.
b) To compare between the conventional methods and the rapid methods in colony plate count test.
c) To study microorganisms content in the processing water whether it is followed the UK standard or not.

Sampling:
There are 10 points of the water sources at Hiestand that will be tested for water quality. The water sample will be taken and placed in the `Thio-Bag', specially designed for sampling chlorinated water and is economical, sterilized, lightweight and unbreakable container. It will be labeled and put into the icebox before transferred to the food laboratory in UKM. The procedure of taking sample will be done 3 times starting from 24/11/04, 15/12/04 and 10/O1/05. All the analysis will be duplicated.

Schedule 1: The sources of Water Supply.

Methods:
There are three methods for microbiological analysis.

1. Colony plate count
   For rapid methods, Simplate will be used and heterotrophic plate count for the conventional method. For heterotrophic plate count; R2A agar will be used in the pour plate methods. R2A is such a media, which when used with lower incubation temperature and longer incubation time, stimulate stressed and chlorine tolerant bacteria.

2. Test for coliforms and E. coli.
   For presence/absence test, Colilert will be used and for quantification, Quanti-tray will be chosen and count in MPN.

3. Test for Enterococci.
   To detect the presence of Enterococci in water, there are two choices of methods, rapid methods and conventional methods.