Operation Clearwater – Water Quality Report as of 6/26/19

Bacteria results are in for this past week and we are happy to report that all beaches are within acceptable bacteria limits for swimming! Broadview Estates/Preserve at Broad Creek is the only beach with bacteria levels which look a little on the high side, but they are still within the bounds of what is considered safe.

It looks like we will have warm and sunny weather this weekend, so if you are outside, enjoy!

On Wednesday, June 26th, trained Arundel Rivers Federation volunteers collected water samples at the locations on the chart below. The results are displayed as Enterococci bacteria concentrations: colony forming units (cfu) per 100mL of sample water.

Feces from waterfowl and dogs, as well as leaky septic tanks are the top contributors to high bacteria results. A week with more rain will generally cause higher bacteria levels. Rain causes runoff, which can carry the pollutants like bacteria into the water, causing greater bacteria levels. As a rule of thumb, Anne Arundel County has a 48 hour no swimming/recreational guidance of water ways after a rain event.

Please note that next week, we will be collecting samples on Tuesday, July 2nd, instead of Wednesday, July 3rd, so that you can plan your river activities accordingly for the long Holiday weekend!

Thank you and as always, let us know if you have any questions or concerns. 

Have a safe and wonderful weekend,

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Jesse Iliff, South Riverkeeper
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Jeff Holland, West/Rhode Riverkeeper