ent. More importantly, their presence is easily detected as their characteristics are easily tested with the use of simple procedures like gram-staining, endospore-staining and lactose fermentation tests. These principles and procedures now form the basis and the rationale for the methods by which this experiment was conducted.
             Actually, the use of coliform bacteria as indicators of the presence of pathogenic bacteria is not new already. It as been established since 1880, and because of their reliability as indicator organisms, the procedures have not changed much and have only geared on specifically measuring the amount of fecal coliforms by use of special growth media and techniques. Today, the basis of the Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater that are being used (also in this experiment) have been specified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (NCSU). There are several methods prescribed by the EPA and although the Most Probable Number (MPN) method is not the most fre
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