Development and assessment of a fecal bacterial monitoring program to determine the impact of ocean sewage outfall on shoreline water quality

An innovative monitoring study, based on analyzing water samples at sampling stations near the Sand Island ocean outfall for three fecal indicator bacteria (Escherichia coli, enterococci, and Clostridium perfringens), was completed. Monitoring for these bacteria was useful because each is present in wastewater at different concentrations and survives in ocean water environments at different rates. The wastewater being discharged into the ocean via the ocean outfall pipe was documented to contain high concentrations of the three fecal bacteria. The monitoring data were used to assess the movement of fecal bacteria from the ocean outfall to shoreline stations where most people use the water for recreational purposes. Data were obtained to show that the wastewater from the ocean outfall did not surface but remained submerged to be transported away by ocean currents and be further diluted by ocean water.