All news related to Microbial Water Quality

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