Traditional methods of microbial quantification for irrigation water using colony counts from agar culture require dedicated laboratory space and trained personnel, making them less suitable for on-site application by horticulture growers. Dehydrated Petrifilm™ culture plates are a simpler method than agar, but are still time-consuming and require 2-3 days to culture. Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) tests may provide an easy and reliable method for quantifying microbes in water that is more rapid than culturing microbes. The objective was to compare ATP measurements against colony counts cultured using Petrifilm™ for assessing microbial water quality. Lake water was recirculated through an ozone system until a target oxidation reduction potential (ORP) of 700 mV was reached. Samples were collected at the following ORP intervals: control, 300 mV, 400 mV, 500 mV, 600 mV, and 700 mV. Samples were plated for aerobic bacterial counts and yeast and mold counts using Petrifilm™ culture plates. Samples were also analyzed for free and total ATP concentration using the Hygiena EnSURE luminometer and its accompanying free and total ATP swabs. Microbial ATP was calculated by subtracting free ATP from total ATP. Results showed a consistent decrease in bacterial and fungal counts with increasing ORP using Petrifilm™ culture plates. At 700 mV ORP, there was 99.5% reduction of bacterial colony counts and 92.8% reduction of fungal colony counts from the initial. Similarly, a decreasing trend was observed for free, total, and microbial ATP concentration with increased ORP levels. There was a 97.5 % reduction of microbial ATP from the initial concentration at 700 mV ORP. A positive correlation was observed between microbial ATP measured with the luminometer and bacterial counts obtained from Petrifilm™. Integrating ATP quantification into routine monitoring practices could provide easy and rapid results and enhance the efficacy of microbial assessments in irrigation water.
