Dry and wet weather microbial characterization of the Chicago area waterway system

The Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) is a man-made channel, which serves the Chicago area for the drainage of urban storm water and the conveyance of secondary treated effluent from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago's (District) North Side, Stickney and Calumet water reclamation plants (WRPs). A microbial characterization of the CAWS upstream and downstream of the WRPs and from the WRP outfall was initiated by collecting dry and wet weather samples and analyzing for indicators and pathogens. During dry weather, indicator bacteria (fecal coliform [FC], E. coli [EC], enterococci [EN]) were the most abundant microbial species detected in the CAWS compared to pathogens (Salmonella spp [SA], enteric viruses [EV], adenovirus [AV], norovirus [NV] and Giardia and Cryptosporidium). Pseudomonas aeruginosa [PA] levels in the outfall samples were either lower or equivalent to the CAWS. The wet weather samples had a higher frequency of detection of indicator bacteria and pathogens compared to dry weather samples. Overall, the concentrations of pathogens in the CAWS, representing the weather conditions experienced in a recreational year, were relatively low. The study concluded that the presence of pathogens in the CAWS downstream of the WRPs were due to secondary loading of the waterway under wet weather conditions from combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and other discharges.

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The influence of biodegradability of sewer solids for the management of CSOs

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2005.0036 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 51 (2) ◽

pp. 89-97 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

R. Sakrabani ◽

R.M. Ashley ◽

J. Vollertsen

Keyword(s):

Weather Conditions ◽

Bulk Water ◽

Combined Sewer Overflows ◽

Sediment Erosion ◽

Combined Sewer ◽

Utilisation Rate ◽

Laboratory Device ◽

Receiving Waters ◽

Oxygen Utilisation ◽

Wet Weather

The re-suspension of sediments in combined sewers and the associated pollutants into the bulk water during wet weather flows can cause pollutants to be carried further downstream to receiving waters or discharged via Combined Sewer Overflows (CSO). A typical pollutograph shows the trend of released bulk pollutants with time but does not consider information on the biodegradability of these pollutants. A new prediction methodology based on Oxygen Utilisation Rate (respirometric method) and Erosionmeter (laboratory device replicating in-sewer erosion) experiments is proposed which is able to predict the trends in biodegradability during in-sewer sediment erosion in wet weather conditions. The proposed new prediction methodology is also based on COD fractionation techniques.

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Microbial risk assessment for recreational use of the Chicago Area Waterway System

Journal of Water and Health ◽

10.2166/wh.2010.020 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 169-186 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

G. Rijal ◽

J. K. Tolson ◽

C. Petropoulou ◽

T. C. Granato ◽

A. Glymph ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Assessment ◽

Environmental Protection Agency ◽

Enteric Virus ◽

Weather Conditions ◽

The United States ◽

Current Treatment ◽

Microbial Risk Assessment ◽

Microbial Risk ◽

Chicago Area ◽

Wet Weather

A microbial risk assessment was conducted to estimate the human health risks from incidental contact recreational activities such as canoeing, boating and fishing in the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) receiving secondary treated, but non-disinfected, effluent from three municipal water reclamation plants. Actual concentrations of the pathogens (pathogenic E. coli [estimated], Giardia, Cryptosporidium, adenovirus, norovirus, enteric virus) detected from the waterway field data collection at locations upstream and downstream of the effluent outfall during dry and wet weather conditions within the recreation season were included in the risk assessment. The results under the current treatment scheme with no disinfection indicated that the total expected gastrointestinal illness (GI) rate per 1000 incidental contact recreational exposure events during combined weather (dry and wet) conditions ranged from 0.10 to 2.78 in the CAWS, which is below the eight illnesses per 1000 swimmers considered tolerable by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Wet weather conditions contribute to elevated pathogen load to the CAWS; therefore this study determined that disinfecting the effluents of three major WRPs that discharge to the CAWS would result in an extremely small reduction in the aggregate recreation season risk to incidental contact recreators.

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Enterococci levels in the Bronx River during dry and wet weather conditions

10.7287/peerj.preprints.750v1 ◽

2014 ◽

Author(s):

Maria Leanna Enecio ◽

Nir Y. Krakauer

Keyword(s):

New York ◽

New York City ◽

York City ◽

Weather Conditions ◽

Indicator Bacteria ◽

Storm Water ◽

Fecal Indicator ◽

Combined Sewer ◽

Wet Weather ◽

Bronx River

The purpose of this project was to understand fecal microorganism contamination in the Bronx River within New York City and how it is affected by combined sewer overflow (CSO) events. Nine sites along the Bronx River were sampled throughout the summer of 2014 during wet and dry weather conditions. The samples were analyzed for enterococcus fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) concentration. The data revealed that wet weather enterococci concentrations are as 3 to 28 times greater than dry weather concentrations. The highest enterococci concentrations were found where the river enters Bronx County from Westchester County and near a storm water outfall. The positive correlation shown between the amount of rainfall and the FIB concentrations verifies that CSO and storm water discharges are a major source of FIB contamination in the river.

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Hydraulic fractionation of conventional water quality constituents in municipal dry- and wet-weather flow samples

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2009.101 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 59 (6) ◽

pp. 1159-1167 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

K. Exall ◽

J. Marsalek ◽

B. G. Krishnappan

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Chemical Characterization ◽

Quality Data ◽

Municipal Sewage ◽

Combined Sewer Overflows ◽

Water Quality Data ◽

Treatment Processes ◽

Treatment Facilities ◽

Wet Weather

The effective design of treatment processes for combined sewer overflows (CSOs) requires understanding of the CSO characteristics and treatability. Environment Canada partnered with four municipalities to evaluate water quality and treatability of wet- and dry-weather flows at local sewage or CSO treatment facilities. Chemical characterization of the samples indicates that the municipal sewage at all of the sites is of relatively weak strength, with several differences between the water quality data for dry-weather and wet-weather flows (assumed to represent CSOs). Hydraulic separation of constituents with an elutriation apparatus illustrated the removals that can be expected with conventional settling techniques and differences in settling of various constituents.

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Enterococci levels in the Bronx River during dry and wet weather conditions

10.7287/peerj.preprints.750 ◽

2014 ◽

Author(s):

Maria Leanna Enecio ◽

Nir Y. Krakauer

Keyword(s):

New York ◽

New York City ◽

York City ◽

Weather Conditions ◽

Indicator Bacteria ◽

Storm Water ◽

Fecal Indicator ◽

Combined Sewer ◽

Wet Weather ◽

Bronx River

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Water quality of Tampa Bay, Florida : wet-weather conditions, October 1971

Open-File Report ◽

10.3133/otherfl75005 ◽

1975 ◽

Author(s):

Carl R. Goodwin ◽

Joseph S. Rosenshein ◽

D.M. Michaelis

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Weather Conditions ◽

Tampa Bay ◽

Wet Weather

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H2S papers as presumptive tests for Salmonella contamination in tropical drinking water

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.1996.0621 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 34 (7-8) ◽

pp. 187-194 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Tanya Gawthorne ◽

Robyn A. Gibbs ◽

Kuruvilla Mathew ◽

Goen E. Ho

Keyword(s):

Drinking Water ◽

Hydrogen Sulphide ◽

Incubation Temperature ◽

Indicator Bacteria ◽

Coliform Bacteria ◽

Salmonella Spp ◽

Faecal Contamination ◽

Tropical Waters ◽

Remote Areas ◽

Traditional Indicator

Coliform bacteria may not be adequate as sole indicators of recent faecal contamination in tropical waters. Salmonella spp. in particular have been found in tropical waters in the absence of traditional indicator bacteria. Remote areas without access to a laboratory have no opportunity for salmonellae analysis as portable tests are currently not available. H2S papers indicate the presence of hydrogen sulphide producing bacteria, a characteristic shared by the majority of Salmonella spp.. The potential of H2S papers to act as a presumptive test for salmonellae in the absence of coliform bacteria was assessed. Salmonella spp. grew in the H2S medium, with an optimum incubation temperature of 37°C and a recommended length of incubation for a negative result of 48 hours. The presence of high numbers of the type of noncoliform bacteria commonly found in drinking water did not affect the performance of the H2S strips. H2S papers are recommended for use in conjunction with a coliform test as a presumptive test for the presence of Salmonella spp. in drinking water.

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