Spatial and temporal dynamics of microbes and genes in drinking water reservoirs: Distribution and potential for taste and odor generation

Numerous reservoirs encounter challenges related to taste and odor issues, often attributed to odorous compounds such as geosmin (GSM) and 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB). In this study, two large reservoirs located in northern and southern China were investigated. The Jinpen (JP) reservoir had 45.99 % Actinomycetes and 14.82 % Cyanobacteria, while the Xikeng (XK) reservoir contained 37.55 % Actinomycetes and 48.27 % Cyanobacteria. Most of the 2-MIB produced in surface layers of the two reservoirs in summer originated from Cyanobacteria, most of the 2-MIB produced in winter and in the bottom water originated from Actinomycetes. Mic gene abundance in the XK reservoir reached 5.42 × 10