Effect of adding phosphate to drinking water on bacterial growth in slightly and highly corroded pipes

The effect of phosphate addition in drinking water was tested under static conditions as batch tests and under dynamic conditions using continuously fed reactors. Phosphate supplements in batch tests from 0.1 to 2 mg P–PO4 L−1 did not show any relationship between bacterial growth and phosphate concentration. Dynamic tests in slightly corroded reactor (stainless steel) treated at 1 mg P–PO4 L−1 showed only a moderate improvement in the growth of microorganisms. On the contrary, phosphate treatment applied to the highly corroded reactor (unlined cast iron) led to an immediate, drastic drop in iron oxide release and bacterial production. Phosphate uptake by the reactor wall was less than 14% with the stainless-steel reactor and 70–90% with the corroded cast iron reactor. Moreover, about 5% of the phosphate associated to corroded iron pipe walls was released for 20 days after the end of treatment.