All news related to Microbial Water Quality
SMC study probing relationship between HF183 and illness risk nearing completion
The Southern California Stormwater Monitoring Coalition (SMC) is nearing completion on a three-year study probing the relationship between levels of the fecal contamination marker HF183 in wet-weather runoff and the ... More
Study quantifies human fecal pollution in urban stormwater
SCCWRP and its partners have completed a sweeping, five-year investigation quantifying the relative contributions of six major sources of human fecal contamination in the San Diego River watershed during wet ... More
Study quantifies fecal pollution from unhoused populations
SCCWRP and its partners have completed a first-of-its-kind study estimating the degree to which people experiencing homelessness along the San Diego River contribute to fecal contamination downstream – one in ... More
Modeling work underway for study probing relationship between HF183 and illness risk
SCCWRP and its partners have begun working to model the levels at which exposure to the fecal contamination marker HF183 in wet-weather runoff is associated with increased illness risks for ... More
Study working to estimate what portion of human fecal contamination in San Diego waterways attributable to public sewers
SCCWRP and its partners have begun working to estimate what portion of human fecal contamination in the San Diego River watershed can be attributed to raw wastewater exfiltrating from public ... More
Experts on HABs, kelp convened to support development of coastal ocean health report cards
SCCWRP has convened two groups of scientific experts to develop consensus on how to assess the state of harmful algal blooms (HABs) and kelp, respectively, in California and West Coast ... More
Study launched to gain approval to use ddPCR for measuring sewage spills, fecal contamination at beaches in City of Los Angeles
SCCWRP and the City of Los Angeles have begun working to earn regulatory approvals to use a rapid, DNA-based method for detecting fecal contamination at City beaches – an advance ... More
Leak detection method successfully applied to test public sewer pipes across San Diego area
SCCWRP and its partners have successfully tested more than 20 underground sewer pipes in the San Diego area for leaks using a newly developed method that can detect volumetric losses ... More
Sampling completed for study probing relationship between HF183 and illness risk
SCCWRP and its partners have successfully completed field sampling for a four-year study probing the relationship between levels of the fecal contamination marker HF183 in wet-weather runoff and the risk ... More
Study launched to measure sewage leaking from privately owned sewer lines
SCCWRP and its partners have initiated a study seeking to estimate how much sewage, if any, is leaking from privately owned sewer lines across the San Diego River watershed and ... More
Second phase launched for Newport Bay study revisiting shellfish water-quality standard
SCCWRP and its partners have launched the second and final phase of a study examining whether an existing water-quality standard designed to protect the health of people who consume shellfish ... More
Study probes utility of virus method for fecal detection
The Southern California Bight 2018 Regional Monitoring Program has completed a study that found that an alternative, virus-based method for tracking fecal contamination can be used as an effective complement ... More
Initial phase of ocean health report card developed for California managers
The California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) has released the first phase of a multi-component ocean health report card designed to provide managers and policymakers with comprehensive annual snapshots about the ... More
Survey quantifies potential sources of fecal pollution in San Diego River from people experiencing homelessness
SCCWRP and its partners have completed a first-of-its-kind survey documenting the sanitary habits of people experiencing homelessness along the lower San Diego River – a key milestone in ongoing efforts ... More
County first to monitor beach fecal pollution via ddPCR
San Diego County has become the first municipality in the nation to end its reliance on decades-old methods for monitoring fecal contamination in beach water in favor of a rapid, ... More
Methods for monitoring COVID-19 in wastewater being transitioned to statewide program
A SCCWRP-led statewide committee that has been developing methods for using wastewater streams to monitor COVID-19 infections in communities has begun working with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) ... More
Method shows promise for detecting small leaks in underground sewer pipes
SCCWRP and its partners have developed a promising new method for measuring leaks in underground sewer pipes that has the potential to detect volumetric losses of as little as a ... More
Variants of COVID-19 virus detected in Southern California wastewater streams
SCCWRP and its partners have found that variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus – including mutations found in the virus’s Eta variant lineage – can be detected in wastewater influent streams ... More
DNA-based community fingerprinting used to link Mexican sewage to U.S. beach pollution
SCCWRP and its partners have tracked sewage from a wastewater treatment plant in Mexico to south San Diego County beach water – a proof-of-concept study that illustrates the power of ... More
Scientific foundation established to question California shellfish water-quality objective
SCCWRP and its partners have completed a study that calls into question the appropriateness of a bacterial water-quality numeric objective designed to protect the health of people who consume shellfish ... More
Study offers insights for measuring COVID-19 in wastewater, reducing variability
SCCWRP and its partners have developed an improved understanding of what contributes to sources of variability in methods for measuring COVID-19 virus levels in wastewater streams – key insights that ... More
COVID-19 wastewater study investigating sources of variability when quantifying virus counts
SCCWRP and its partners have begun investigating potential sources of variability in how the COVID-19 virus in wastewater is collected, preserved and quantified – part of an ongoing national study ... More
Wet-weather sampling initiated to look for sewer biofilm in San Diego watershed
SCCWRP and its partners have launched an initial round of wet-weather sampling in the San Diego River watershed to investigate whether the microbial community that grows inside nearby sewer pipes ... More
Effort launched to quantify microfracture leaks in sewers
SCCWRP has partnered with the County of San Diego to explore how to accurately detect potential microfracture leaks in underground sewer pipes – the latest step in an ongoing, multi-year ... More
Wastewater samples collected from 9 local POTWs to build national COVID-19 surveillance system
SCCWRP and its partners have collected and preserved wastewater influent samples from nine Southern California treatment plants over the past four months for a national study investigating how wastewater influent ... More
Wastewater being used to track COVID-19 infections
A national research team that includes SCCWRP has begun investigating how wastewater influent could be used to monitor the prevalence of COVID-19 infections in communities in near real time. The ... More
Non-targeted analysis to be tested in Ventura County source tracking study
SCCWRP has launched a study with Ventura County exploring how the unique chemical patterns inside storm drains might be used to identify and track sources of human fecal contamination in ... More
Field sampling completed for shellfish water-quality study in Newport Bay
SCCWRP and its partners have completed field sampling for a study examining whether a water-quality standard designed to protect the health of people who consume shellfish from Newport Bay in ... More
Bacterial species, genes being identified for study examining antibiotic resistance in wastewater effluent
SCCWRP and its partners have begun working to confirm the identity of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and bacterial genes in treated wastewater effluent for an ongoing study examining whether this material is ... More
Bight ’18 Microbiology element preparing to kick off field sampling for coliphage method evaluation study
Participants of the Southern California Bight 2018 Regional Monitoring Program’s Microbiology element will initiate field sampling in August for a study evaluating the relevance and reliability of using coliphage viruses ... More
Ocean currents model to be evaluated as part of study examining Tijuana pollution flows
SCCWRP and its partners will use field data from an ongoing study tracking persistent fecal contamination at Imperial Beach near the U.S.-Mexico border to evaluate a computer model that predicts ... More
Newport Bay study to examine scientific basis for shellfish water-quality standard
SCCWRP and its partners will launch a study in May evaluating whether a water-quality standard designed to protect the health of people who consume shellfish from Newport Bay in Orange ... More
Effort to model health risks to Inner Cabrillo beachgoers wraps up
SCCWRP and its partners have completed a three-year effort to identify the sources of persistent fecal contamination at Inner Cabrillo Beach in Los Angeles County and to model health risks ... More
Sampling completed for study documenting antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Participants of a SCCWRP-led study examining whether viable antibiotic-resistant bacteria – and the genes that code for antibiotic resistance – are being discharged into the environment following the wastewater treatment ... More
Fecal contamination study shows sewers have unique microbial, chemical characteristics
SCCWRP and its member agencies have shown in a pair of initial proof-of-concept studies that sanitary sewer systems have unique microbial and chemical characteristics that may help water-quality managers track ... More
Study launched to determine possible link between Mexican treatment plant and fecal contamination at Imperial Beach
SCCWRP and its partners have initiated a year-long study to investigate whether fecal contamination at Imperial Beach near the U.S.-Mexico border can be linked to primary-treated effluent being released into ... More
Bight ’18 Microbiology element initiates lab training for coliphage-based water-quality monitoring method
Participants of the Southern California Bight 2018 Regional Monitoring Program’s Microbiology element have begun laboratory training for a study that will evaluate the relevance and reliability of using coliphage viruses ... More
Sampling underway for study examining uniqueness of microbial community inside sewer vs. storm drain
SCCWRP and its partners have begun collecting samples from San Diego-area sanitary sewer and storm drain systems for a study investigating whether a unique microbial community is found inside each ... More
Bight ’18 keeps focus on key issues of management concern
More than 80 environmental agencies will examine new and emerging developments in water-quality science and management during the 2018 cycle of the Southern California Bight Regional Monitoring Program, which initiates ... More
Microbes in sewer pipes to be studied to glean insights about origins of fecal contamination
SCCWRP and its partners have launched a study investigating whether the microbial community that grows inside sanitary sewer pipes could provide insights into the origins of human fecal contamination found ... More
Microbial contamination detection device to undergo more R&D after malfunction
A field-portable instrument prototype designed to improve the speed at which beach water can be analyzed for microbial contamination did not perform reliably during an initial field test and will ... More
Accuracy of QMRA health risk modeling approach validated with epidemiology data
SCCWRP and its partners have shown that a health risk modeling approach known as Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) can be used to accurately estimate illness rates for beachgoers who ... More
POTWs embark on study documenting antibiotic-resistant bacteria, genes in effluent
SCCWRP and its four wastewater treatment member agencies have initiated a year-long study examining whether viable antibiotic-resistant bacteria – and the genes that code for antibiotic resistance – are being ... More
POTW labs to start training for study examining antibiotic-resistant bacteria, genes in effluent
SCCWRP and its POTW member agencies in May will begin practicing collection and analysis techniques for a year-long study examining whether viable antibiotic-resistant bacteria – and the genetic material that ... More
POTW labs to start training for study examining antibiotic-resistant bacteria, genes in effluent
SCCWRP and its POTW member agencies in May will begin practicing collection and analysis techniques for a year-long study examining whether viable antibiotic-resistant bacteria – and the genetic material that ... More
Human fecal contamination sources identified at Inner Cabrillo Beach during QMRA study
A SCCWRP-led effort to use a health risk modeling approach known as Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) at Inner Cabrillo Beach in Los Angeles County has turned up evidence that ... More
Analysis underway for Inner Cabrillo Beach health risk modeling study
A SCCWRP-facilitated advisory committee is reviewing water-quality sampling data collected from Inner Cabrillo Beach to determine whether high fecal indicator levels at the Los Angeles County beach are indicative of ... More
Study design being finalized to examine antibiotic-resistant bacteria, genes in effluent
SCCWRP and its POTW member agencies are finalizing the design of a study that will examine whether viable antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the genetic material that codes for antibiotic resistance are ... More
Suitcase-sized microbial detection device to begin field-testing in spring
SCCWRP this spring will begin field-testing a suitcase-sized prototype instrument that could revolutionize the speed at which beach ocean water is analyzed for microbial contamination. The droplet digital PCR (polymerase ... More
Summer sampling completed to support health risk modeling study
SCCWRP and its partners have completed an initial round of sampling at Inner Cabrillo Beach for a study that aims to ascertain whether high fecal indicator levels at the Los ... More
Study to investigate whether antibiotic resistance bacteria, genes being discharged in wastewater effluent
SCCWRP is collaborating with its member agencies to design a study examining whether viable antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the genetic material that codes for antibiotic resistance are being discharged into the ... More
Summer sampling completed to support health risk modeling study
SCCWRP and its partners have completed an initial round of sampling at Inner Cabrillo Beach for a study that aims to ascertain whether high fecal indicator levels at the Los ... More
Surfer rainfall study helps focus water-quality discussion
SCCWRP and its partners have completed a three-year epidemiological study examining the health impacts of entering coastal waters during and shortly after rainfall, a study that has raised important public ... More
SCCWRP to launch field testing of suitcase-sized microbial detection device this summer
SCCWRP this summer will begin field-testing a suitcase-sized instrument prototype designed to rapidly detect microbial contamination in beach ocean water. The droplet digital PCR (polymerase chain reaction) instrument, developed by ... More
Human fecal contamination sources identified at Inner Cabrillo Beach during QMRA study
A SCCWRP-led effort to use a health risk modeling approach known as Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) at Inner Cabrillo Beach in Los Angeles County has turned up evidence that ... More
SCCWRP to test new EPA health risk model at Inner Cabrillo Beach
SCCWRP in May will launch a first-of-its-kind study aimed at ascertaining whether high fecal indicator bacteria Ievels at Inner Cabrillo Beach in the Los Angeles Harbor area are indicative of ... More
SCCWRP to present preliminary results for source tracking study
SCCWRP in February will present the preliminary findings of a microbial source tracking study intended to gauge the relative degradation rates of pathogens, fecal indicator bacteria and source-associated markers in ... More
SCCWRP to test suitcase-sized microbial detection device
A suitcase-sized instrument that could revolutionize the speed at which beach ocean water is tested for microbial contamination is being prepared for an initial round of testing and calibration at ... More