Microbial Quality of Agricultural Water Used in Produce Preharvest Production on the Eastern Shore of Virginia

ABSTRACT Several produce-borne outbreaks have been associated with the use of contaminated water during preharvest applications. Salmonella has been implicated in a number of these outbreaks. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the microbial quality of agricultural surface water used in preharvest production on the Eastern Shore of Virginia in accordance with the Food Safety Modernization Act's Produce Safety Rule water standards. The study also examined the prevalence, concentration, and diversity of Salmonella in those water sources. Water samples (1 L) from 20 agricultural ponds were collected during the 2015 and 2016 growing seasons (n = 400). Total aerobic bacteria, total coliforms, and Escherichia coli were enumerated for each sample. Population levels of each microorganism were calculated per 100-mL sample and log transformed, when necessary. Samples (250 mL) were also enriched for Salmonella. Presumptive Salmonella isolates were confirmed by PCR (invA gene) and were serotyped. In 2016, the c...