Town Branch First Surface in West Lexington Lexington,KY was founded near the Town Branch Stream, a tributary of the Elkhorn. In the early years of the town, The Branch was covered by bridges and gradually paved over. Wolf Run stream augments the Town Branch in the Western suburbs/countryside. Photo by Richie Wireman.

Lexington Cholera Epidemics 1833 & 1849 Cholera was thought to be caused by miasma, “bad air” from stagnant water. 501 Lexington cholera deaths, 8% of population, in 1833. Bacterial culprit, Cholera Vibrio, actually transmitted by ingestion of contaminated water.

Main St Flood-Lexington, KY 1928 The epidemics in Europe and US had dwindled by 1925 with the improvement of water and sanitary sewer facilities. Lexington had long ago covered the Town Branch with roads, but continued to feel its presence during heavy rains.

The municipal water system was established in 1885, with initial impetus for fire control. By 1919, the Town Branch Wastewater Treatment plant was receiving inflow from the city’s sanitary sewers.

1935 brick and stone sewer covering Town Branch stream 1935 brick and stone sewer covering Town Branch stream. Same structures currently in use today.

Sanitary sewer overflow.

Results of Wolf Run stream testing for human Escherichia Coli Results of Wolf Run stream testing for human Escherichia Coli. Watershed is in south western section of Lexington. Wolf Run joins Town Branch stream (bottom center) at Alexandria Drive.

Friends of Wolf Run- Lexington, Kentucky Terry Foody, RN, MSN COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPACT SURVEY Friends of Wolf Run- Lexington, Kentucky Terry Foody, RN, MSN Project Coordinator Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Department of Environmental Quality Stormwater Quality Incentive Grants Program Class A (Neighborhood ) Project July, 2010 - June, 2011. May, 2012 – August 2015. terryfoody@juno.com - (859)277.5291 www.WolfRunWater.org Friends of Wolf Run applied for Stormwater Quality grant to conduct a community health impact survey. These grants incorporated into city’s response to EPA suit.

Project Methods Known presence of human E.coli. In Wolf Run stream. Question: evidence of waterborne disease? Apply for and secure stormwater grant (FoWR & Foody). Acquire samples: 5 stream sites x 4 rounds. (FoWR). Analysis of stream samples at UK Micro.Lab (Dr.Ribes). Survey of Health Care Practitioners in Watershed for incidence of waterborne disease in patients. (Foody)

Rubble, exposed pipe and outlet in city stream.

Stool Cultures for Water Samples Julie A. Ribes, M.D., Ph.D. UKHealthCare Clinical Microbiology Laboratory Stream samples tested for evidence of waterborne disease.

Wolf Run Water Findings D13 BAP Sweep oxidase to pick up Aeromonas Pleisiomonas Spready colony worked up for possible Bacillus cereus Early growths on blood agar.

Stream Results from One Station Examples from one sample site in Wolf Run Watershed. (Vaughn’s Branch tributary of Wolf Run).

Wolf Run Water Findings D13 XLD Usual coliforms are yellow Need to screen black colonies for possible Salmonella spp. Need to screen clear red colonies for possible Shigella spp. Laboratory incubation growths.

Potentially Significant Organisms Isolated D13 8/24/10 Bacillus cereus, Aeromonas sobria, Pleisiomonas shigelloides D10 8/24/10 Aeromonas sobria, Bacillus cereus D14 8/24/10 Bacillus cereus, Aeromonas sobria D16 8/24/10 Aeromonas caviae, Aeromonas sobria, Bacillus cereus D18 8/24/10 Bacillus cereus, Aeromonas hydrophila, Aeromonas schubertii, Aeromonas sobria, Aeromonas caviae

Aeromonas hydrophila Aeromonas caviae Final results do not indicate correlation to significant waterbone disease.

Wolf Run Stream in neighborhood near children’s playground Wolf Run Stream in neighborhood near children’s playground. (Outlet pipe to water).

Watershed area for survey of health care practitioners to report incidence of waterborne disease in their patient population.

Survey of Agencies Tool Preparation – validity & reliability. Input from MDs, Epidemiologists, RNs Health Department – Disease registry. Watershed agencies: Lexington Clinic, KY Clinic South, Family Care Center, W Hope Center, Bluegrass Com. Health Clinic. 2012-13, added outside watershed: Salvation Army, Health First Lexington, Men’s Hope Center & 4 Schools.] Survey tool prepared by project coordinator, with input from other professionals. Internal review board approval for study secured from Health Department, EKU and UK.

Results 2010-2011 Four agencies in the watershed: 273 total cases gastroenteritis. Adults, children, male, female with watery or bloody diarrhea. Health Department confirmed reportable diseases: 34 cases from specific pathogens. Note! Correlation to stream not provable.

2012-2013 Expand survey to agencies outside Wolf Run Watershed . Hold on water sampling. Expand survey to agencies outside Wolf Run Watershed . Community education to professionals, neighborhoods. Medical/city stormwater coalition. Roundtable Meetings: Jan, 2011. May 2013. Comparison of survey results to agencies in Wolf Run watershed. Full study results were reported and discussed in large roundtable meetings with interested stakeholders/partners in medicine, nursing, government, sanitation engineers, research, epidemiology, watershed and grant administration.

Ultimate goal: increased awareness and documentation of community health impact in stream and population. (Photo of Preston’s Cave, Wolf Run Watershed, by Richie Wireman).