Aim: To assess the microbial water quality of harvested rainwater infrastructure used to supplement household water uses for homegrown produce.
Methods and results: Using a co-created community science methodology, between 2017 and 2020, a total of 587 harvested rainwater samples and 147 garden soil samples irrigated with harvested rainwater were collected from four Arizona communities and analyzed for coliform, Escherichia coli, and/or Salmonella. Participants also completed a home description survey regarding their home and surrounding area, water harvesting infrastructure, and gardening habits.
Conclusion: Chi-Square tests revealed that the quality of harvested rainwater is affected by proximity to a waste disposal or incineration facility, animal presence, cistern treatment, and cistern age (P < 0.05), while soil samples were associated with community (P < 0.05). Coliform and E. coli concentrations in both sample types were greater in the monsoon season.
Keywords: E. coli; Salmonella; citizen science; community science; garden soil; rainwater harvesting.
© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Applied Microbiology International.