Sac River Basin - Harmful Bacteria in Water
In the Ozarks, a disease-causing bacteria is
present in 30 to 50% of household wells.
Sac
River E. coli Sampling
What are bacteria?
Bacteria are microscopic organisms that come in
many different shapes and forms. Bacteria can
cause infections from tuberculosis to strep throat and many others.
However, not all bacteria are harmful. They are an important component to nutrient
cycling; bacteria assist in decomposition of dead organic material and make the nutrients
once again available to larger organisms. Many
bacteria are beneficial to humans—for instance, we use certain bacteria to make
fermented products like cheese and yogurt. Bacteria
inhabit nearly all environments, from hot springs to cold artic habitats.
In humans, bacteria reside normally throughout the
body, including the skin and the digestive tract. In
rivers and lakes, bacteria are most commonly found along the shoreline and within the
bottom sediments. Although they are found,
bacteria are typically not as abundant in the open waters of rivers and lakes.
What is E. coli?
The bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli), belongs to a group of
bacteria known as coliforms. These bacteria
naturally reside in the intestinal tracts of mammals where they assist in the digestion of
food. However, they can cause severe health
problems when ingested in large amounts. See
the following site for more information on E. coli:
http://medic.med.uth.tmc.edu/path/00001497.htm
E.
coli can be found in rivers and lakes polluted with animal waste.
Due to its potential health hazards, this bacterium
is commonly measured in area waters. If it is
found, other harmful intestinal bacteria could also be present. E. coli
does not live long outside of the body, so any amount detected in streams is an indication
of a recent pollution event.
What level of E. coli is unsafe?
The Environmental Protection Agency has
established a safety level of 265 colonies of E.
coli per 100mL of water sample. Waters
with readings above this level are unsafe to swim in and to drink. Waters with readings below this level are
considered safe for “full body contact”. Even
if below this safety limit, as a usual rule, water from local lakes and streams should not
be ingested intentionally. Drinking water from
the city is monitored regularly for E. coli and
is safe to drink. Individuals with wells
should have their wells tested periodically for E.
coli.
How do agencies measure the bacteria
levels in water?
A number of different tests can be used to
determine how much bacteria is in the water. Usually,
a sample is collected (100mL in size), and this sample is then taken back to a laboratory
where the analysis is conducted.
In one type of test, the 100mL sample is
poured through a paper filter, leaving the bacteria on the top of the paper filter.
This filter is then placed in a container that
contains enough nutrients for the bacteria to grow. The
container is incubated, and then the number of bacteria colonies is counted.
Another test called the Colilert Defined
Substrate Test is used to detect E. coli. In this test, the water sample is put into certain
nutrients and chemical agents. If coliforms
are present, the sample will turn yellow, and the number of yellow colonies can be
counted. The sample can also be viewed under
special UV lights to see if the sample is fluorescent, which indicates that E. coli are present.
This is the method used by local health departments. The maximum number of colonies that can be counted
with this method is 2419, so any sample with a count of 2419 can be assumed to contain
more.
Where are the bacteria coming from?
Bacteria such as E. coli live in the intestines of animals.
Because of this, common sources of E. coli in waters are animal waste runoff and
sewage. According to the Greene County Health
Department, E. coli in recreational water can
come from the following sources:
- Urban and agricultural runoff
- Malfunctioning onsite sewage treatment systems
(septic tanks, lagoons, etc.)
- Sewer overflows (both sanitary and combined sewers),
- Wild and domestic animal waste
- Human fecal accidents in the water
Sometimes, E. coli/bacteria will increase in a body of water
after a rainstorm of increased runoff. Other
spikes in the data could result from events described in the bullets above.
Many bacteria are common to waters.
Bacteria live on the surfaces of plants and aquatic
animal as well as in the soil substrate of lakes and rivers.
These bacteria are important to the functioning of the river ecosystem.
How can we determine where the bacteria
have come from?
One way to see where the bacteria are coming
from is to take water samples at different locations on a river/creek.
For instance, if you take a water sample upstream
from a suspected source (a leaking septic tank, for example), then take a water sample
below this site, you can compare the levels from both samples.
If the value of bacteria is higher downstream, you
have good evidence that the septic tank was a source of the elevated bacteria levels.
DNA analysis can also help determine
bacterial sources. According to the University
of Missouri’s FAPRI (Food and Agriculture Products Research Institute) Environmental
Report, “DNA source tracking techniques are used to obtain patterns of the coliform
colonies and compare them to patterns of known species including humans, cattle, poultry,
dogs, horses, hogs, and wildlife” (Shoal Creek Watershed Project 2002)
Solutions to Bacteria in Water
This section discusses what both the local
agencies are already doing and what the individual citizen can do to decrease harmful
bacteria in local waters. A list of important
contact numbers is provided at the end of this section.
If you need more information concerning these issues, or if you want to find
out about current bacteria levels, feel free to call these local agencies.
What are local agencies/authorities doing
to prevent bacteria contamination in our local waters?
Locally,
health departments and the United States Geological Service are involved in monitoring
bacteria levels. These health departments
measure the water for bacteria regularly during the summer months, because this is the
time that people will be recreating in the water. Most
of the health departments begin their monitoring for bacteria in mid-May and continue
through August. If an event occurs such as a
wastewater overflow, the health department will then start monitoring the river where the
contamination occurred. The health departments
also will issue a “whole body contact” ban on a particular river/creek if the E. coli levels are higher than the 235 colonies/100
mL safety limit (Goddard 2002). This means
that swimming is not allowed, and other activities, like fishing or canoeing, should be
done cautiously.
Local
and state governments are involved in programs which try to lower the amount of bacteria
in the water. Runoff into streams can be
lessened by planting more shoreline vegetation and by keeping farm animals further away
from the water. Other programs work with
owners/operators of septic tanks and sewage treatment plants to ensure that no raw sewage
is ever released into a local waterway.
If
you are connected to city utilities, the water that reaches your house faucets has gone
through a purification process. Microorganisms
from the water have been removed by a sand filter, and the water has been disinfected
through the use of chlorine or ozone. Drinking
water from the city is perfectly safe to drink and information concerning the quality of
your town’s drinking water is available through city utilities or your local water
treatment plant.
What can you do to fight harmful bacteria
in our local waters?
The
best thing that you can do to help lower harmful bacteria levels in our local waters is to
stay informed. This summer, you can call your
local health departments to see what the bacteria readings are at your favorite recreation
spot. You can also contact local agencies that
have resources and programs concerning bacteria in our local waters.
See the list of contacts below.
If
you own a septic tank, a farming operation, or property with a waterway running through
it, you can work to prevent releases of bacteria into the water.
By properly maintaining your septic system, keeping
animals further away from the stream, and by planting vegetation close to the shore, you
can help lower bacteria levels.
Who can you contact to find out more and
to check bacteria readings taken in the future?
Cedar County Health Department
1401 South Park St.
El Dorado Springs, MO 64744
417-876-5477
Dade County Health Department
Greenfield, MO 65661
417-637-2345
Greene County Health Department
227 E. Chestnut Expressway
Springfield, MO 65802
417/864-1657
Polk County Health Department
1317 W Broadway
P.O. Box 124
Bolivar, MO 65613
417-326-7250
Sac River E. coli Sampling
On the Sac River, Farmroad 35 and Farmroad 125 sample sites had on average the highest E. coli readings, while Phenix Access had on
average the lowest E. coli reading. All of the sample sites on the Sac River had
average readings above the safety limit of 235 colonies/100 mL.
Sample sites at Farmroad 80, and Farmroads 35 and 120 had maximum readings
exceeding 2419 colonies/100mL. For additional
information about E.Coli please visit: Sac River
Basin - Harmful Bacteria in Water
E.
coli sampling sites on the Sac River
- Farmroad 80 (Greene County) – Located in
Greene County, northwest of Springfield, MO.
- Farmroad 35 and Farmroad 120 (Greene County)
– Located in Greene County, west of Springfield, MO
- Phenix Access (Greene County) – Located
in Greene County, northwest of Springfield, MO.
 |
