Interesting.
However,I’d like to point out that not all coliform bacteria are in the fecal coliform group.
Most coliforms are found in soil and the general environment. Fecal coliforms are a subgroup.
I gather “coliform” is sometimes used, such as in medicine, as shorthand for coliform concentrations which contain other bacteria. By themselves, the coliform types are generally harmless, yet serve as an indicator of the likely presence of other bacteria, both harmless and pathogenic.
For example, health departments frequently test water for its level of coliform bacteria, beyond a certain concentration the assumption being that sewage or other source of contamination has been introduced.
Granted some forms of coliform bacteria, such as e. coli, can have dangerously pathogenic strains.