2017 and 2018 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 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 - 2017 | Fecal Coliform - #/100 mls water | Total Coliform - #/100 mls water | Water Temperature - °F | Salinity - PPT | Observations |
| June 17, 2017 | >49,000 | 110,000 | 87 | 0 | water extremely dark and turbid. Click to see plate |
| July 5, 2017 | 4,600 | 14,400 | 94 | 0 | water is extremely dark and turbid. Click to see plate |
| July 22, 2017 | 7,300 | 8,900 | 87 | 0 | water is extremely dark and unsafe for swimming. Click to see plate |
| August 8, 2017 | 8,000 | 180,000 | 87 | 0.3 | water is extremely dark and unsafe for swimming. Click to see plate |
| August 24, 2017 | 8,500 | 15,200 | 87 | 0.3 | water is extremely dark and unsafe for swimming. Click to see plate |
| September 5, 2017 | 600 | 7,200 | 87 | 0.0 | Water looks a little better |
| September 22, 2017 | 5,200 | 10,300 | 87 | 4.0 | Water is turbid because of a bloom of algae; water not as dark |
| DATE - 2018 | Fecal Coliform - #/100 mls water | Total Coliform - #/100 mls water | Water Temperature - °F | Salinity - PPT | Observations |
| July 13, 2018 | 5,400 | 8,200 | 89 | 5 | water slightly turbid, a little green. Click to see plate |
| July 23, 2018 | 5,100 | 11,200 | 89 | 4 | water slightly turbid, a little green. |
| July 31, 2018 | 7,000 | 11,200 | 88 | 5.5 | water very turbid, green phytoplankton bloom. |
| August 8, 2018 | 1,900 | 14,100 | 88 | 6 | water very turbid, green algae bloom. |
| August 22, 2018 | 2,700 | 7,500 | 88 | 4 | water very turbid, green algae bloom. |
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