Pennsylvania Waterways Show 'Serious Spikes' In E. Coli, Bacteria, Studies Show

Our streams and rivers sometimes are unsafe for swimming and water play after a summer thunderstorm, researchers say.

Water tests conducted by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation this summer in three states — including Pennsylvania — show that, after rain storms, bacteria levels can rise above safety levels established by state and federal governments, presenting an E. Coli threat.

Stream testing revealed "serious spikes" in E. Coli and other fecal bacteria after rain in some Pennsylvania waterways, according to the study.

And another recently released study from the National Resources Defense Council shows high levels of bacterial contamination at several Pennsylvania beaches that have routinely made them unsafe for swimming.

A significant storm can wash human and animal waste from farms, city streets and elsewhere into local streams, according to the researchers.

"These results confirm the need to clean up our streams and rivers, and the Chesapeake Bay," according to the foundation. "Bacteria is a canary in the coal mine. Where you find fecal bacteria, you likely will find nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment pollution, three of the main sources of pollution in the Bay and its tributaries."

Here are beaches identified by NRDC, using 2013 data, that show the number of samples and their percentage of water samples that, in the most recent analysis, tested high for bacteria:

• Erie County: Barracks Beach 105 13%
• Erie County: Beach 1 East 117 15%
• Erie County: Beach 10 (Budny Beach) 90 3%
• Erie County: Beach 11 117 22%
• Erie County: Beach 6 111 13% view
• Erie County: Beach 7 (Water Works Beach) 128 14%
• Erie County: Beach 8 (Pettinato Beach) 127 16%
• Erie County: Beach 9 (Pine Tree Beach) 89 3%
• Erie County: Freeport Beach 47 34%
• Erie County: Mill Road Beaches 111 14%

The foundation study, meanwhile, shows sampling of 10 Pennsylvania waterways this summer that found elevated levels of bacteria that can be considered as a surrogate for nutrients and sediment that are carried into rivers and streams as polluted runoff.

Elevated levels of E. Coli bacteria, which the Environmental Protection Agency says show an increased risk to human health, were found in more than half of the streams tested, especially when sampled within 48 hours of heavy rains, according to the foundation.

Some of those E. Coli results were more than 10 times above the level the EPA considers to be acceptable for swimming, according to the foundation.

Also, the average of test results for fecal coliform bacteria in dry conditions for a 30-day period were over the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's acceptable threshold at three sites.

Here is a map of the areas that were tested:

Photo: Chesapeake Bay Foundation