Executive Summary
A number of important learnings have been derived from CPS-funded research on the role agricultural water can play in human pathogen movement to fresh produce and how those risks can be better managed. The take home messages for the industry can be summarized as follows:
- It is important to assess contamination risks for each source of agricultural water used for irrigation or ag chemical preparation.
- Gaining value from ag water testing means understanding your testing objectives and designing sampling (and testing) strategies to achieve those objectives.
- Generic E. coli as a sole indicator for human pathogens in ag water may not be advisable.
- Treatment of irrigation water with disinfectants to control pathogen transmission is a risk reduction tool but does not eliminate risk.
- Microbial die-off following irrigation of leafy greens with contaminated ag water is not the same as elimination.
- It is important to understand the impact of use of pathogen-contaminated ag water on public health.