Water quality is of the utmost importance when serving carbonated fountain beverages. Microscopic dirt particles that may be found in water will drive carbonation out of a beverage, leaving it stale and unappealing—leading to a much different flavour than that of bottled beverages. Untreated water can also lead to abrasion, clogging and equipment damage.
Microbiologists have used aerobic plate counts to demonstrate the presence and number of bacteria in foods and beverages, including water, for more than a century. The procedure is reliable and accurate when applied to nutrient-rich substrates such as foods and medical specimens, but organisms...