4. Major Watersheds in Alabama

5. AWW across 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 Monitoring Sites

6. AWW Water Monitoring

7. AWW Education/Outreach

8. Web of Life
The web of life involves the sequence of the transfer of energy and matter from one organism
to another in an ecological community.

9. 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.

10. Bacteria and the Human Body
About 70% of nurses wearing artificial fingernails had pathogenic bacteria under their nails, after hand washing compared to 26% of nurses with real nails.
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.
Armpit skin has more than 500,000 bacteria per square inch.
About 10% of the dry weight of a human body is bacteria.
About 30 % of all human feces is bacteria.

11. Why monitor for bacteria?

12. Waterborne diseases associated with fecal contamination
Common Name
Type of Organism
Site/Symptoms
Source(s)
Cholera
Bacteria
Gastrointestinal
Water and food
Cryptosporidiosis
Protozoa
Water
Dysentery
Bacteria, viruses or protozoa
E. coli Infection
Enterococcal Infection
Gastrointestinal, bacteremia meningitis, endocarditis, urinary tract
Giardia
Intestine
Hepatitis A & B
Viruses
Liver
Schistosomiasis
Flukes
Liver, renal system
Typhoid
Vibrio
cholerae
Shigella
E. coli
Enterococcus
Salmonella

13. Fecal contamination and other waterborne pathogens
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!
Enterococcus
urinary tract infections, meningitis
Salmonella
typhoid
Shigella
Bacillary dysentery

14. AWW Bacteriological Monitoring
E. coli
General coliforms

15. AWW Monitoring Sites

16. Richland Creek Trib
Hurricane Creek
Pea River

17. Research Project:
Examination of bacterial levels in water and sediment for the development of refined monitoring protocols for inland recreational waters

18. 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!

21. Public Use Areas in AL Monitored for Bacteria - 2015
Freshwater
Sites = 38
Coastal Sites = 25
(ADEM sites)

22. Come see us! Alabama Water Watch 559 Devall Drive Auburn, AL 36849
Toll Free:
Contacting AWW
War Eagle!
Saugahatchee at Lee CR 65 Bridge
The Auburn University crawdad, found only in the waters flowing through AU campus!