No Swimming Warning Signs Posted at Two Annapolis Sites

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Two locations in the city where high bacteria levels have been identified, especially after rains, will have warning signs posted in both English and Spanish, Annapolis city officials said Thursday.

Water quality testing results from several of the locations around the city indicated high enterococci bacteria levels at two sites, the bacterial measurement that is an indicator of fecal contamination in water samples.

The warning signs are posted at the stream crossing footbridges at South Cherry Grove and the Children’s Museum. The signs recommend that individuals not swim in that area within 48 hours of a rain event due to predicted high bacteria levels.

The Anne Arundel County Health Department does not recommend swimming in any natural bodies of water within 48 hours of a rain event due to predicted high bacteria levels. Rain washing over land on its way to creeks and streams picks up entercocci bacteria as it washes over animal fecal matter. Health problems associated with high levels of bacteria are primarily ear, eye and skin infections. Diarrhea and other water related illnesses can occur from accidentally swallowing contaminated water.

Enterococci bacteria are naturally occurring in the intestines of all warm-bodied animals, including dogs, geese, raccoons, and humans. The bacteria are also naturally occurring in food and soils. As the bacteria are easy to detect, they are frequently used as an indicator of water quality.

Earlier this summer, the Back Creek and Spa Creek Conservancies and Capital Stand-up Paddleboarding at Sarles Marina partnered with Operation Clearwater, located at Anne Arundel Community College, to test the bacteria levels at a number of locations within the Back and Spa Creek watersheds.

The samples collected near the Chesapeake Children's Museum and South Cherry Grove Avenue in Annapolis, during the months of June and July of 2016, stand out as sites with high levels of enterococci bacteria. In an effort to determine if the bacterial source was human, additional samples were collected on Thursday, August 11, 2016 from both sites. These samples were sent to Source Molecular, a lab located in Miami.

While there was no human fecal contamination in the water samples, the Aug. 11 analysis showed 460 Colony Forming Units (CFU) for the Chesapeake Children's Museum sampling location and 1,200 CFU for the South Cherry Grove Avenue site. Safe swimming levels are 104 CFU or lower.

For each notification of high bacteria test results, City Utilities Division conducted inspections and determined that high bacteria levels were not related to leaks or spills from the city’s sanitary sewer system.

The County Health Department tests the water at swimming beaches throughout the Ccounty for enterococci bacteria levels. Their results and information about their testing program can be found at:

http://www.aahealth.org/programs/env-hlth/rec-water/risks.

Meanwhile, results from the samples collected from the Chesapeake Children's Museum and South Cherry Grove Avenue in Annapolis can be found on the Operation Clearwater’s website at https://ola2.aacc.edu/tldomanski/ and on the Back Creek and Spa Creek Conservancies’ websites.

»Photo of water samples being taken by Anne Arundel County Health Department