The antimicrobial effects of copper in drinking water

"The effect of temperature, pH, presence of inorganic ions and organic matter in water stored for 24 h in a copper water storage vessel was studied and enumeration was carried out under normal aerobic conditions and conditions designed to neutralise reactive oxygen species by the addition of 0.5% w/v sodium pyruvate and incubation in an anaerobic jar containing an anaerobic gas pack to encourage fermentative metabolism... The present study demonstrated complete inactivation of Salmonella Typhimurium, Salmonella Typhi and Vibrio cholerae by storage in a copper vessel for 24 h... The results of the present study highlight the significance of using copper as an antibacterial agent against common water-borne pathogens in reducing the risk of incidence of infections from contaminated water"--Abstract.