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Microbial Pathogen and Surrogate Sampling in Yellowstone National Park Shallow Groundwater and Spring Collection Systems
Citation:
Boczek, L., L. Bueter, Jacob Crosby, N. Dugan, M. Hutchinson, J. Murphy, M. Ware, AND E. White. Microbial Pathogen and Surrogate Sampling in Yellowstone National Park Shallow Groundwater and Spring Collection Systems. American Geological Society - Rocky Mountain Section Meeting, Fort Collins, CO, May 23 - 25, 2023.
Impact/Purpose:
This oral presentation will present the results of a five month sampling campaign of shallow groundwater wells and spring collector systems in Yellowstone National Park. These wells and collector systems are the source of potable water for > 180,000 person x days per visitation season. The sampling campaign worked to characterize the microbial quality of these water sources. It is anticipated that the information in this presentation will be of interest and use to the managers of small/rural water systems, especially those serving transient non-community populations, such as county, state, national park, and national forest campgrounds.
Description:
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Yellowstone National Park (YNP) collaborated on a 5-month sampling campaign during the 2021 park visitation season. The goal of the effort was to characterize the microbial quality in shallow well and spring collector systems used to supply water for the park's drinking water infrastructure. For the EPA, the study results contributed to an ongoing program to (1) characterize associations between waterborne pathogens and potential microbial surrogate indicators across watersheds with varying degrees of human impaction, and (2) gain additional insight into the quality of a type of water source used to serve 39 surrrounding communities with populations below 500 in the state of Wyoming. For YNP, the study results provided insight into the quality of sources that supply potable water for more than 180,000 visitor person-days annually. Samples were analyzed for Cryptosporidium, Giardia, E.coli, enterococci, MS2 coliphage, somatic coliphage, total aerobic spores, total coliforms, turbidity, and 2H/1H and 18O/16O stable isotope ratios. Where possible, the study also made use of online monitors that supplied information about spring box water levels, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and precipitation.