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Return to main Water Quality Monitoring Page
E. coli Sites and Data SummariesIn 2011, volunteers collected samples between April and September at 17 sites between Buena Vista and the Columbia River. In the map below: Green pins indicate no exceedences of the EPA standard for swimming were found. Yellow pins indicate a less than 10%, or only very slight exceedences of the standard, were found. Red pins indicate a significant number of exceedences were found, and caution should be used when swimming or wading. E. ColiEscherichia coli is a rod-shaped bacteria (belonging to a group of bacteria known as fecal coliform bacteria) which lives in the lower intestines of warm-blooded mammals and is necessary for the proper digestion of food. The presence of E. coli is correlates well with the presence of many waterborne microorganisms and pathogens which can cause diseases such as gastroenteritis, dysentery, typhoid fever, and cholera. Large amounts of E. coli in surface water indicate fecal contamination from warm-blooded animals. In order to encourage safe use of the Willamette River, Willamette Riverkeeper tests E. coli levels twice a month between April and September at popular recreation sites on the Lower and Mid-Willamette. If you enjoy recreating in the Willamette at a site that we’re not currently monitoring, let us know – we may be able to add it to our list. |
2011 E. coli Sample ResultsAbout E. coli StandardsWe measure E. coli in "MPN/100mL" which stands for "Most Probable Number" of bacterial colonies per 100 mL sample. The EPA public health criteria for a single E. coli sample from a recreational beach is 235 MPN/100mL. This standard represents the level of bacteria at which 8 in 1000 swimmers are likely to get sick from swimming in the water. Single sample values below 235 MPN mean that the site is likely to be safe for recreational use.
Online Database by Caspio
Click here to load this Caspio Online Database.
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