The acceptable concentration of Enterococci bacteria for swimming and other direct water contact is less than 104 (cfu) colony forming units/100ml. Precipitation events wash pollutants from the surrounding watershed into the waterways and may increase bacteria levels of the water. Feces from geese and dogs, as well as leaky septic tanks are the top contributors to high bacteria results.
The samples are collected by Arundel Rivers volunteers and analyzed by Dr. Tammy Domanski’s Lab at the Anne Arundel Community College.