OPERATION CLEARWATER:Bacterial Water Quality Monitoring

Sally G. HornorEnvironmental Center

Anne Arundel Community College, Arnold MD sghornor@aacc.edu

TMAW/LivRAW Meeting March 9, 2007

SRA-AACC Partnership To Monitor Bacterial Water Quality

• How is the program managed?

• What bacteria are used as indicators?

• What are the sources of these bacteria?

• How do we sample and count?

• How are data reported?

• How can we use these data to improve water quality?

OPERATION CLEARWATER

Established in 1974 to provide information on bacterial water quality at bathing beaches and marinas

Only River Association-based bacterial water quality monitoring program in this region

2003 – Sierra Club Award of Appreciation, Anne Arundel Group

Operation ClearwaterProgram Management

• March: SRA sends out letter with application to all waterfront communities. Cost $22 per sample (weekly or biweekly schedule for 14 week season) + one-time $10 fee to SRA. Community appoints a Op. Clearwater representative.

• May 1: deadline for applications• mid-May -Aug 30: sampling season; data posted

weekly on SRA website linked to Hornor’s homepage at AACC. Severnriver.org and take link to Op. Clearwater Results

• If a count is high, community representative contacted via email or phone

Bacterial Indicators ofRecreational Water Quality

Indicator EPA “Safe level” for single sample

• Fecal Coliforms 200/100 ml• Enterococci < 105/100 ml• E. coli < 235/100 ml

“Safe level” = keep GI illness to 19/1000 bathers at designated beaches

Enterococcusfaecalis Escherichia coli

Sources of Enterococci in Tidal Waters of the Severn River

• Failing septic systems or sewer line

• Boat heads and pump-out stations

• Stormwater runoff carrying domestic animal waste

• Waterfowl and other wildlife

MagothyRiver

SevernRiver

South River

Rhode and West Rivers

Little Round Bay

Sherwood Forest

Pines on the Severn

Arden

Valentine Creek

Pointfield Landing

Ben Oaks

Dreams Landing

Severn RiverOperation Clearwater Sites

Round Bay

Glen Oban

The DownsEpping Forest

WinchesterBrown’s Pond

Weem’s Creek

Sample Collection

Sample Filtration in Lab

Filtered Samples

Operation Clearwater Mid-Summer 2001 Report Sally Hornor, AACC Environmental Center

Enterococci/100 ml

Location 5/16 5/23* 5/30* 6/6 6/13 6/21 6/27 7/5* Amberley 0 8 0 258

Brown’s Pond 9900 45 16 2145 Winchester 525 49 8 330

Pines 4 220 49 4 12 9 16 510 Glen Oban 4600 96 7 350 Round Bay 4 117 47 4

W Severna Park 230 12 43 2110 Colchester 320 16 0 310 Ben Oaks Severn R 2600 12 2 2600

pond 24 8 0 8

Pointfield Landing

4000 198 12 2215

Arden

Severn R 4 83 11 10 Valentine Cr 225 25 36 220

Herald Harbor 410 475 46 495 96 171 20 165 Palisades 1700 25 28

Sherwood Forest Brewer Pt 4 7 5 8

pier 585 0 0 260 The Downs 0 900 53 4 0 29 5 785

Epping Forest 38 40 258 12 38 270 Dream’s Landing 7 4 20 559 20 175

Weem’s Cr 78 29 Bay Ridge 28 0 40 120

*5/23: Approx. 2.3” of rain within 48 of sampling *5/30: Approx. 3” of rain within 72 hours of sampling *7/5: More than 1” of rain within 24 hours of sampling Operation Clearwater Data

What if FC or enterococci count is high?

• Community representative is contacted by phone or email

• Often communities place a sign at beachfront notifying swimmers that bacterial counts are high

• Communities include information on bacterial counts and recreational water quality in newsletters

• Search for source of bacteria• 2004 Venice Beach example

Oyster Harbor Venice Beach 2004

• May 26: 1215• June 9: 42• June 23: 370• July 7: 302• July 21: 492• Bring in the border

collies• August 4: 28• August 18: 0

Enterococci/100 ml

What can be done to reduce bacterial counts?

• Reduce stormwater runoff with rain barrels, rain gardens and reduced impervious surfaces

• Maintain septic systems• Educate boaters about the importance of

using holding tanks and pumpout stations at marinas

• Discourage feeding of waterfowl at bathing beaches

• Encourage pet owners to clean up after their pets

• Encourage waterfront property owners to maintain vegetated buffers

Value of River Association-Sponsored Bacterial Water Quality Monitoring

• Community involvement and education• Community confidence in recreational water

quality• Timely reporting of poor recreational water

quality• Ability to respond rapidly to high counts and

look for sources• Long-term trends are determined