A newly-formed task group of ASTM Committee D19 on Water will develop a proposed standard test method for E.coli in water. The proposed method will cover analysis of E.coli in wastewaters, groundwater, surface waters, and non-marine recreational waters. The group will meet initially at the meetings of Committee D19, Jan. 14-18, in Cocoa Beach, Fla. Participation is encouraged, and non-members are invited.

The proposed draft document title is “Standard Test Method for the Detection and Enumeration of E.coli in Water and Wastewater (Membrane Filtration: b-Glucoronidase Method).” The b-Glucoronidase Method, marketed by Hach Company under the trade name m-ColiBlue24®, recently received U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approval for analysis of total coliforms in drinking water under the Total Coliform Rule. As more states are moving to analysis of E.coli in wastewaters, there is growing interest in simplified procedures for conducting these analyses, and the method will be reviewed and tested by ASTM Committee D19 water laboratory specialists to appeal to a wide variety of users.

To participate in the development of this ASTM method, or for further technical information, contact the task group chair, Teresa Smith, Application Scientist for Microbiology, Hach Company, 100 Dayton Ave., Ames, IA 50010 (800/227-4224, ext. 3305). For further membership or meeting details, contact Staff Manager Bruce Noe, ASTM (610/832-9719). //

Copyright 2000, ASTM