CRWA in the News

Bacteria in Charles may be from goose droppings

By Danielle Ameden/Daily News correspondent

Milford Daily News, Tuesday, June 13, 2007

Geese droppings as well as human waste leaking out of "old and outdated" sewer lines may be partly to blame for town river water's consistently elevated E. coli count, the Charles River Watershed Association said yesterday.

Samplings at the town's Central Street bridge have been higher than other towns along the Charles River, which meanders to Boston, water resources specialist David Kaplan said.

"We've seen that site consistently violate state water quality standards in wet and dry weather," Kaplan said. "We see consistently high levels here, and it's definitely on our radar screen."

River water under the bridge was measured last month at 557.5 cfu (colony forming units per 100 milliliters), Kaplan said. "That is definitely one of the higher counts that we got on the main stem of the Charles River," he said.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency boating standard is 630 cfu, and the state's swimming standard is 126 cfu.

Kaplan said animal waste, especially geese droppings washed into the water, is a major factor behind high bacteria counts. Another likely contributor to Milford's levels is the sewer pipe system, which may be "old and outdated infrastructure," Kaplan said.

Town officials said they don't have reason to share the watershed association's early concern and instead have faith in the town's sewage system.

"We don't know of any leaks," Milford Sewer Superintendent John Mainini said. "If we knew of any leaks we'd be searching for them and trying to find them."

Mainini said the town is diligent about sewer line maintenance and repairs. In recent years, work was done on original 1906 sewage lines in about 20 homes in the School Street area with water lines that cross-connected with the sewage pipe, he said.

The town and other agencies conduct regular bacteria tests on the lines.

"We've passed every time," Mainini said. "We're confident."

The U.S. Geological Survey is developing a water quality lab test to determine whether the bacteria is human- or animal-based, Kaplan said. Given Milford's consistently high E. coli scores over the years, the test may be helpful here, he said.

"This is definitely a candidate site to see whether this is more of an animal vs. a human bacterial input," Kaplan said.

The association's next monthly maintenance sampling is scheduled for next Tuesday.

Milford Public Health Director Paul Mazzuchelli said upcoming bacteria count scores will be "something to keep our eye on."

"We want to be an abiding town that borders the Charles River."