Microbial intrusion and seasonal dynamics in the groundwater microbiome of a porous basaltic rock aquifer used as municipal water reservoir

Groundwater is a key resource for safe drinking water supply. Yet unconfined aquifers can be vulnerable to microbial contamination during extreme weather events that lead to surface runoff. The current study characterises the groundwater microbiome of a porous basaltic rock aquifer in South-West Iceland used for drinking water extraction and analyses the microbial community dynamics during surface runoff. The groundwater microbial community sampled from 12 wells across the extraction area contained over 745 prokaryotic genera and was phylogenetically similar between wells and most seasons, representing a diverse but homogenous ecosystem. The largest seasonal variation in the microbial community composition was detected during a period of concurrent snow melt and high precipitation leading to surface runoff. This period was characterised by an increased abundance of soil-associated taxa in the groundwater microbiome and specifically of taxa assigned to Aeromonas and Bacillus. A field experiment simulating high surface runoff around a groundwater well confirmed the increased abundance of surface soil microorganisms in the well water, indicating vulnerability of groundwater towards surface microbial intrusion during extreme weather events. As such events are likely to increase due to climate change, novel water management tools such as microbial community analysis could help ensure drinking water safety.