OurH2hOme: Investigation into the Microbiome of Our Water

The purpose of this study is to investigate what kinds of normal bacteria live in your shower and tap water and how this relates to the chemistry and condition of your pipes. It is known that normal bacteria live in our drinking water pipes. However, it is not well understood how these communities develop in households having various plumbing conditions, how these microbes would respond to water pressure and water source differences. This research is being done to define these bacterial communities, which may generate insights allowing advances in water treatment technologies, home water pipe designs, advances in ecological theory, and development of better disinfectants.