Quarterly Highlights: Environmental Health Services

The Environmental Division will be implementing a survey of Lake Erie Streams west of Presque Isle State Park.  The streams will be sampled once each week during the time that the beaches are available for swimming.  This is a continuation of the survey that began last year.  The streams are being sampled for E. coli bacteria concentrations.  E. coli is the indicator specified in the Commonwealth Public Bathing Place regulations that determine whether a beach remains open for swimming.

In 2005 there was a historically high number of beaches closed at Presque Isle due to elevated bacteria levels.  There were a total of 34 beach days in 2005 where beaches were closed.  The Department began a survey of streams in an attempt to determine if a source of fecal contamination could be attributed to a particular stream’s watershed.  As data is collected, it will be evaluated by the Department’s aquatic biologist.

A more extensive survey is planned for 2007.  The Department has applied for and is anticipating the award of a Coastal Zone Management grant to evaluate the water quality of the streams at upstream locations, as well as the mouths of streams, in an attempt to identify where point sources such as sanitary sewer overflows or bypassing lift stations may occur.

Streams will be sampled a minimum of twice each week for twelve months.  Streams will also be sampled during or after storm events over the twelve-month period.

The anticipated project is designed to run concurrently with a similar project for Presque Isle beaches that will be implemented by the Regional Science Consortium (RSC) at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center.  In a cooperative effort, the RSC and ECDH will begin to utilize a method of analysis that will provide the ability to differentiate human derived E. coli from non-human E. coli.  E. coli is found in the intestinal tract of all warm-blooded animals.

The Erie County Department of Health will utilize the new methodology for the samples collected on the streams, and the Regional Science Consortium will be evaluating the beaches at Presque Isle.

This will provide answers regarding the relative contributions of human/non-human bacterial levels.

Results of these two studies will be complied and compared to determine if correlations exist between stream samples and beach samples.

This information is distributed by Erie County Department of Health, 606 W. 2nd Street, Erie, PA 16507, 814-451-6700, Fax: 814-451-6775, www.ecdh.org