A total of 73 drinking water samples were collected from distribution
system in Lattakia city, the aim was to search for hetrotrophic bacteria and
investigate their resistance to chlorine and antibiotics. The antibiotic
susceptibility tests were:
carried out by using agar dillution method (MIC) and
the antibiotics tested were: Ampicillin, Chloramphenicol, tetracycline,
Amikacin, Ciprofloxacin, Cefotaxim, Gentamicin, Erythromycin Piperacilin/
Tazobactam, and cephalothin.
A sum of 133 bacterial strains were isolated and included by five genera:
pseudomonas, acinetobacter, flavobacter, chromobacter, and methylobacter.
The samples content of residual chlorine were ranged between 0.1 to 3.8 mg/l.
The majority of bacterial strains isolated were resistance to chlorine. The
multiple antibiotic resistances were common amongst isolated bacterial strains.