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Major Watersheds in Alabama
Cumulative 1992 - 2015 (cao 3/2015)
79,900 Water Quality Records
64,260 Certified Monitors
2,290 Sites
285 Citizen Groups
40 Active Citizen Trainers
1,890 Workshops
AWW across Alabama
AWW Monitoring Sites
AWW Water Monitoring
AWW Education/Outreach
Web of Life
The web of life involves the sequence of the transfer of energy and matter from one organismto another in an ecological community.
What are Bacteria?
• Single-celled organisms
• Invisible to the naked eye
• Live almost everywhere in great numbers
• They are in air, water, soil, and ice.
• They are even inside us!
• In fact, we couldn’t properly digest food without them!
• Without bacteria, plants couldn’t grow, garbage wouldn’t decay, and there would be a lot less oxygen to breathe.
Bacteria and the Human Body
Armpit skin has more than 500,000 bacteria per square inch.
About 70% of nurses wearing artificial fingernails had pathogenic bacteria under their nails, after hand washing compared to 26% of nurses with real nails.
About 10% of the dry weight of a human body is bacteria. About 30 % of all
human feces is bacteria.
Nine of ten cell phones are coated with some kind of bacteria, and 1 in 6 cell phones is contaminated with the bacteria E. coli.
Why monitor for bacteria?
Waterborne diseases associated with fecal contamination
Common Name
Type of Organism
Site/Symptoms Source(s)
Cholera Bacteria Gastrointestinal Water and food
Cryptosporidiosis Protozoa Gastrointestinal Water
DysenteryBacteria,
viruses or protozoa
Gastrointestinal Water and food
E. coli Infection Bacteria Gastrointestinal Water
Enterococcal Infection Bacteria
Gastrointestinal, bacteremia meningitis,
endocarditis, urinary tract
Water and food
Giardia Protozoa Intestine Water
Hepatitis A & B Viruses Liver Water and food
Schistosomiasis Flukes Liver, renal system Water
Typhoid Bacteria Gastrointestinal Water and food
Enterococcus
Shigella
Salmonella
Vibrio cholerae
E. coli
Although most strains of E. coli are harmless, their presence is
indicative of fecal contamination, and hence an increased possibility of the presence of more dangerous organisms.
Fecal contamination of water sources is highly prevalent worldwide, accounting for the majority of unsafe drinking water.
In developing countries most sewage is discharged without treatment. Even in developed countries events of sanitary sewer overflow are not uncommon.
E. coli O157:H7 = pathogenic!
Fecal contamination and other waterborne pathogens
Enterococcusurinary tract infections,
meningitis
ShigellaBacillary dysentery
Salmonellatyphoid
AWW Bacteriological Monitoring
E. coli General coliforms
AWW Monitoring Sites
Richland Creek Trib
Hurricane Creek
Pea River
Research Project: Examination of bacterial levels in water and sediment for the development of refined monitoring protocols for inland recreational waters
AU Research -2014: Examination of bacterial levels in water and sediment for the development of refined monitoring protocols for inland recreational waters Conclusions:
• E. coli concentrations were sometimes significantly different when sampling the surface
water at different times of the day.
• Both E. coli and Enterobacteriaceae were present in significantly higher numbers in the
sediments than the surface water.
• Although there was no significant correlation between the number of waterfowl observed at each beach and the concentration of E. coli present in the water, Canada goose feces was found to test positive for Salmonella and high levels of E. coli.
GOOD IDEA!
Freshwater Sites = 38
Coastal Sites = 25(ADEM sites)
www.adem.state.al.us/programs/coastal/beachMonitoring.cnt
Public Use Areas in AL Monitored for Bacteria - 2015
Alabama Water Watch559 Devall Drive
Auburn, AL 36849
www.alabamawaterwatch.org
Toll Free: 1-888-844-4785 email: [email protected]
Saugahatchee at Lee CR 65 Bridge
War Eagle!
The Auburn University crawdad, found only in the waters flowing
through AU campus!
Come see us!
