Preliminary results for E. Coli testing Summer 2003

The following data is provided in order to give people in the watershed information to help them decide if they want to swim in the river. The US EPA water quality standards for swimming areas state that E. Coli levels should not exceed 235 E. Coli/100ml of water in a single sample. Vermont E. Coli standards are far more strict than the US EPA recommendations. They recommend 77 E. Coli/100ml of water (single sample) as the upper limit for swimming areas.

The samples collected in 2003 showed relatively low levels of total phosphorus and sediements (turbidity), but high levels of E. Coli bacteria. E. Coli was extremely high at site 3 (every measurement was above VT DEC standards), while the headwaters (sites 1 and 2) showed relatively low levels of contamination.

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