The majority of well fouling occurs due to biofilm formation. While previous studies tried to characterize the bacterial population which form the biofilm, in some geographical areas these populations are still unknown. Here we characterized the bacterial population in clogged water wells located in the Arava valley, Israel.
We collected samples during clogged water well rehabilitation of several wells. From these samples we extracted total genomic DNA, which was amplified using PCR, and sequenced using Next Generation Sequencing methods.
We found similarities between the tested samples. The main genus inhabiting all the samples was Delftia (more than 50% of the sequences). Usually, these bacteria mostly inhabit water and soil environments and have biofilm formation abilities. In addition, we found substantial percentage of Ilyobacter (10-11% of the sequences), a genus that was previously shown to inhabit marine and anaerobic environments and have the ability to reduce iron. The characteristics of these bacterial populations match the environment features of the water in the tested wells. Better understanding of bacterial populations that form biofilm may assist to understand the underlying mechanisms of biofilm formation in water wells.
