‘Don’t go near the water’: Concerning fecal coliform bacteria levels in Bradley Creek watershed branch
WILMINGTON, N.C. (PORT CITY DAILY) - Recent water quality tests at two sites along a stream connected to the Bradley Creek watershed found that levels of fecal coliform — microscopic bacteria used as an indicator for pathogens — were 150 times higher than the level deemed safe by state regulators.
“We don’t know what’s going on yet, since we just got the data,” said Michael Mallin, a UNCW professor and team member of a water quality testing team that reported the results to city officials on Aug. 25. “We don’t know if there is leakage, potential leakage, from any of the sanitary sewer lines.”
On Aug. 25, Mallin emailed a group that included N.C. State professor William Hunt and Wilmington stormwater manager Fredric Royal — he told them fecal coliform levels at two Bradley Creek testing stations were quite high. The tests were performed around two weeks ago, Mallin said.
“Don’t go near the water...,” Mallin wrote in the email.
There are still a lot of unanswered questions about the high levels and earlier this week CFPUA launched its own investigation.
Find the full story at Port City Daily here.
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