Preliminary results for E. Coli testing Summer 2006

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 Poultney Mettowee Watershed Partnership added six monitoring sites in the Mettowee Valley to the program in 2005.  These sites include four sites on the Mettowee River, two sites on Flower Brook and one site on Beaver Brook.  The Partnership added sites along the Castleton and Hubbarton Rivers in 2006.