Enterococcus

Background

Enterococcus is an anaerobic genus of bacteria that is capable of cellular respiration in both oxygen-rich and oxygen-deficient environments. In bodies of water, enterococcus levels correlate with many human pathogens often found in urban sewage and are associated with a wide range of clinical infections. A United States federal standard for water quality of public waterways dictates a five week geometric mean of only 35 colony-forming units per 100 mL bacteria. Anything above this requires proper signage and notification of the public. High levels of enterococcus, such as those observed in our research of the river, indicate the possibility of the leaking of illegal sewage into the river from numerous sources.

Methods:

• Diluted 10 mL samples with 90 mL of deionized water to create 1/10 dilution
• Mixed with IDEXX Enterolert powder and sealed using Quanti Tray sealer
• Placed sealed trays with water samples in incubator set at 41 degrees celsius for 24 hours
• Removed incubated trays and used blacklight to count glowing boxes
• Use IDEXX Chart to calculate number of enterococci in sample

Enterro Counts by Site

Enterro Counts vs. Precipitation by Site

2016-2017 Data

Main Sites

Valhalla

Historic Rainfall