Rogues' Gallery

Meet the Crew!

They could be lurking in your water and trust us, they’re not the kind you want to meet!

From swimming to drinking, or simply just breathing in aerosols, this is the line-up that you likely don’t want in your water.

From bilious bacteria and party-crashing chemicals to pesky particles, every member of the Rogues' Gallery has a tale to tell. Some stink, some strike fast, and others lurk in the shadows, waiting to make you sick later. Water’s Most Unwanted has more twists than Tolkien and more owls than Hogwarts. Discover their quirks, crimes, and dirty little secrets, and unlock your own greatest superpower: knowledge!

The canary in the cesspit...

Escherichia coli

AKA: E. coli, “Faecal Fingerprint”,
“Toxmaxxer”, member of the ESKAPEE gang

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Ordinary bacteria, extraordinary resistance...

Enterobacter spp.

AKA: Most feared as “Nightmare CRE” (subset of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacterales), members of the ESKAPEE gang

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The hospital squatter that just won't leave...

Acinetobacter baumannii

AKA: “Iraqibacter”, member of the ESKAPEE gang

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The ICU gangster with a bulletproof vest...

Klebsiella pneumoniae

AKA: Most feared as superbug CRKP (Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae), member of the ESKAPEE gang

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Living on your skin. Looking for a way in...

Staphylococcus aureus

AKA: Golden Staph, MRSA (methicillin-resistant alter ego), member of the ESKAPEE gang

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Quiet in your gut. Deadly in a hospital...

Enterococcus faecium

AKA: Hospital superbug, VRE (when resistant to vancomycin), member of the ESKAPEE gang

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Never underestimate a slimy character...

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

AKA: Biofilm bandit, notorious member of the ESKAPEE gang

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An eye-con you don’t want...

Acanthamoeba

AKA: The Eye Destroyer, trophozoite

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The poison you never see coming...

Arsenic

AKA: The King of Poison

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More floaters than a pool party...

Total Suspended Solids

AKA: TSS, particulates, cloudiness

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Cognitive chaos...

Toxoplasma gondii

AKA: Toxoplasmosis, tachyzoite, “The Mind Bender”

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Hungry for humans...

Vibrio vulnificus

AKA: Flesh-eating Bacterium

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The Funky Flavour Forcing Financial Fallout...

Methylisoborneol

AKA: “Swamp perfume”, “wet socks”, MIB

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Chlorine's nemesis...

Cryptosporidium

AKA: C. parvum, C. hominis, sporozoites, oocysts

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The poison we paid for...

PFAS

AKA: PFCs (perfluorinated compounds), Per- and Poly-fluoroalkyl Substances, “Forever Chemicals”

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The Aerosol Assailant...

Legionella

AKA: Legionnaires Disease, Pontiac Fever

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Looking green, acting mean...

Harmful Algal Blooms

AKA: Cyanobacteria, Blue-green Algae

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The legacy lurker...

Lead

AKA: Plumbum, type of heavy metal

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When floodwaters fight back...

Leptospira

AKA: Weil's disease, Leptospirosis

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The confetti that never cleans up...

Microplastics

AKA: Plastic particles less than 5mm

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The campsite crasher...

Giardia

AKA: “Beaver fever”, giardiasis

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The hot-weather hitman...

Naegleria fowleri

AKA: “Brain-eating amoeba”, trophozoite

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The outbreak overachiever...

Norovirus

AKA: Norwalk virus, Winter vomiting disease

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