2014 Bacteriological Sampling in Perdido Bay using Coliscan MF without incubation
A fecal coliform count of over 200 bacteria/100 mls of water indicates the water may be unsafe for swimming.
A total coliform count over 2,400 bacteria/100 mls of water indicates swimming may be unsafe. It should be noted that the bacteria plates are grown at room temperature (25 C) and not at human body temperature. The fecal coliforms are therefore "wild" and not necessarily from human wastes.
Papermills and sugar producers discharge large amounts of organic matter which are degraded by bacteria. Many of these bacteria are in the coliform family. A pathogenic bacteria, Klebsiella pneumoniae, is a coliform and associated with wastes of high organic content. These wastes reduce the dissolved oxygen in water because the bacteria use up the oxygen.
Salinity of 0 PPT would be fresh water; sea water would have a salinity of approximately 36 PPT.
| Perdido Bay above Lillian Bridge- Millview, FL; 30 24 50N/87 22 23W | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DATE - 2013 | Fecal Coliform - #/100 mls water | Total Coliform - #/100 mls water | Water Temperature - °F | Salinity - PPT | Observations |
| March 4, 2014 | 8,400 | 15,200 | 50 | 2.6 | water dark with very low dissolved oxygen. Duckweed present |
| April 12, 2014 | 2,400 | 6,400 | 77 | 0 | Lots of rain; water dark and turbid |
| May 11, 2014 | 500 | 1,200 | 82 | 0 | Heavy rains. Water is dark and turbid. |
| June 1, 2014 | 33,600 | 33,600 | 83 | 0 | Heavy rains. Water is dark and turbid. |
| June 17, 2014 | 4,200 | 4,200 | 90 | 0 | Water little bit clearer but still turbid. |
| July 11, 2014 | 1,100 | 4,600 | 88 | 3 | Water is turbid with a black bottom. |
| August 11, 2014 | 3,500 | 3,500 | 90 | 3 | Water is turbid with a black bottom. |
| September 9, 2014 | 1,000 | 2,000 | 87 | 10 | Foam, water very turbid, sheen on water. |
| Return to Homepage | |||||
