Assessment and Management of Watershed Microbial Contaminants

Comparative impacts of stormwater runoff on water quality of an urban, a suburban, and a rural stream

“…Excessive fecal coliform counts occurred in Burnt Mill Creek not only following rain events but during dry periods as well. Sources of fecal microbial contamination in urban areas include domestic animals and urban wildlife including pets, waterfowl, pigeons, rats, and raccoons (Hussong et al 1979;Smith and Perdek 2004); other potential sources include illicit sewer connections to storm drain systems and leaks in sanitary sewer systems. In contrast to Burnt Mill Creek, in Smith Creek and especially Prince Georges Creek, the peak fecal coliform counts were associated almost entirely with wet periods.…”

“…However, less is known about the impact of stormwater runoff in largely rural areas. The exception to this is agricultural areas (i.e., livestock grazing areas) where fecal microbial contamination of waterways results from manure deposition by the animals (Howell et al 1995;Smith and Perdek 2004) and from the spraying or spreading of manure as fertilizer or waste disposal Daniel 1992, 1994;Sims and Wolf 1994).…”

“…Urban stormwater is a leading cause of pollution to fresh and brackish receiving waters, especially fecal bacteria (NOAA 1998;Smith and Perdek 2004). Elevated fecal bacteria, viruses, and protozoans in recreational waters are a direct human health threat as these microbes can cause illness if they are exposed to vulnerable areas such as the mouth, nose, eyes, and open wounds.…”

Managing waste from confined animal feeding operations in the United States: the need for sanitary reform

“…Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Cryptosporidium parvum, Giardia lamblia, E. coli O157:H7 are the most common causative agents of disease outbreaks that most likely originate from animal-feeding operations (Smith & Perdek 2004). The concentration of zoonotic pathogens in a given watershed has been found to increase with proximity to and number of animal operations (Cox et al 2005).…”

“…The US EPA has determined that 16% of the more than 300,000 impaired river and stream miles in the US are due to animal feeding operations (Centner 2004). Of the US rivers and estuaries that fail ambient water quality standards, 40% fail because of pathogens (Smith & Perdek 2004). In the western US states, it is estimated that 80% of the impaired river and streams are associated with livestock (Agouridis et al 2005).…”