Grantee Research Project Results
1999 Progress Report: Community Recreational Water Risk Assessment and Public Outreach
EPA Grant Number: R827063Title: Community Recreational Water Risk Assessment and Public Outreach
Investigators: Biedrzycki, Paul , Corsi, Steve , Gradus, M. Stephen , Singh, Ajaib , Gieryn, Doug , Ankel, Elke , Pape, Erika , House, Harry , MacDonald, Jeff , Wiesinger, John , Bagley, Robert
Current Investigators: Biedrzycki, Paul
Institution: City of Milwaukee Health Department
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: November 1, 1998 through October 31, 2000
Project Period Covered by this Report: November 1, 1998 through October 31, 1999
Project Amount: $320,000
RFA: Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking (EMPACT) (1998) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Environmental Statistics , Water , Sustainable and Healthy Communities , Air , Ecological Indicators/Assessment/Restoration
Objective:
For the past 30 years, the City of Milwaukee Health Department has conducted monitoring of the Milwaukee public beaches for contamination that could negatively affect the public health. To enhance this effort, the City of Milwaukee Health Department successfully applied to the EMPACT program in 1998. The City of Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) partnered with the City of Racine Health Department (RHD), the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Great Lakes WATER Institute (GLWI), and other organizations to study more closely the beaches in Milwaukee and Racine, WI. The targeted locations are Bradford Beach, McKinley Beach, and South Shore Beach in Milwaukee and Zoo Beach and North Beach in Racine. The objectives of this grant project are to: (1) improve documentation and dissemination of environmental data specifically related to health risk associated with the recreational use of public beaches; (2) improve the type, quantity, and quality of environmental data collected at and around public beaches in both Milwaukee and Racine Counties in development of a public health risk model; (3) improve coordination and collaboration of environmental data collected between Local Public Health Agencies (LPHAs), other organizations and community stakeholders, and standardize data collection; and (4) build community awareness around surface water pollution prevention.
Progress Summary:
Equipment Technology. Equipment measuring both water quality (temperature, conductivity, turbidity, redox potential, chlorophyll fluorescence) and meteorological parameters (air temperature, rainfall, wind speed and direction) was purchased and installed by GLWI at South Shore Beach in Milwaukee and North Beach in Racine. The system at South Shore Beach is partially land-based as cable runs from a data sonde buoy to a data logger mounted on shore. In Racine, a radio is attached to the buoy so that data are broadcast to a data logger on shore. The first year became dedicated to working out problems, which were present mostly because water quality equipment of the type we are using is rarely installed in very near-shore environments of large bodies of water. A Web camera was also installed at South Shore Beach and live images, updated on the hour, are posted on the project Web site. Once the monitoring equipment is working properly, data will be recorded every 15 minutes and also updated on the Web every hour.
Data Collection/Analysis. MHD and RHD collected samples daily at the beaches from the end of May to the end of September to be analyzed for organisms that are indicators of disease-causing organisms (pathogens). Other information such as wave height, bird density, and water temperature was recorded on site. Meteorological information was obtained once every morning from the National Weather Service and river flow data from the USGS. In addition, two river sites in Milwaukee, one on the Milwaukee River and one on the Menomonee River, were sampled biweekly for bacterial contamination.
The traditional and reliable test for E. coli requires 24 hours. Beach water quality conditions can change so rapidly that this is often not adequate. As part of EMPACT, a new ~ 6-hour test, Charm Sciences LiteGuard, was performed in addition to the traditional test. Data were collected, but were very inconsistent, and the test often took much longer than was predicted.
A public health risk predictive model was developed for South Shore Beach by the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) based on 5 years of (post "deep tunnel") fecal coliform data and Mitchell Field rainfall data. This model generally works well, except that spikes in bacteria levels do occur later in the summer in the absence of rain. By identifying other correlates with bacteria (e.g., those measured by the equipment), this model could be improved and expanded to include all of the beaches.
Education/Outreach. The USGS in Madison developed the Web site for the project, and it is attractive and multifaceted. The page for the general public is in English and Spanish and includes water quality information that is updated daily, pollution prevention information, detailed maps, related Web sites, and the live image of South Shore Beach. There also is a technical user's page that includes all of the Milwaukee and Racine Health Department monitoring data and the volunteer monitoring data. Specific queries of the data can be made and downloaded.
Large advisory signs were designed and produced for the Milwaukee beaches. The day and date can be changed on the signs, as well as the water quality advisory from good to fair to poor. The sign for South Shore Beach was installed midway through the summer, and it was well received by beachgoers who were surveyed. The surveys were distributed during very warm days at South Shore Beach and also included questions about possible illness, demographics, and access to the internet. Advisory signs were not installed at Bradford Beach or McKinley Beach due to opposition from Milwaukee County.
A beach water quality telephone hotline was established through the University of Wisconsin-Extension. A message containing advisories for Bradford, McKinley, and South Shore Beach is recorded and can be updated daily from any touch tone phone (password required). The Web site address and hotline number were advertised regularly throughout the summer on the City of Milwaukee (Channel 26). Both were also highlighted along with the advisory system during a midsummer local Fox station (Channel 6) news broadcast.
MHD partnered with community environmental education organizations to form a near-shore volunteer monitoring program. Nearly 50 volunteers were involved in the onsite water quality testing of 13 sites, 9 times during the summer. Students gained experience with scientific methods and learned the advantages as well as the disadvantages of field test kits. They learned about the sources of pollution to Lake Michigan and why contaminant levels often increase following a rainfall. Samples were taken for analysis in the laboratory for comparison purposes. This volunteer data also will be useful in choosing parameters to test for regularly toward the improvement of the predictive model.
EMPACT information was made available at other events. Volunteers of all ages participated in the 1999 Wisconsin Beach Sweep, which took place in conjunction with the Center for Marine Conservation's International Coastal Cleanup, and was cosponsored by Great Lakes Future. Two pollution education brochures were produced for this event. These brochures also were distributed at the EMPACT booth at the Environmental Expo that was part of the International Joint Commission's biennial meeting in Milwaukee in September.
Future Activities:
A checklist of goals to be achieved during the second year of the EMPACT project is presented below:
Revise predictive model
? Propose a new model for June 2000 and
compare it to the existing model
? Evaluate new variables to potentially use
in year 2001 model
? Revise protocol on data collection, analysis, and QC
Pilot new rapid E. coli test
? Explore new test availability
?
Examine field and lab deployment
? Establish pilot timeline
Pilot real-time monitoring equipment
? Establish timeline for
deployment of monitoring equipment in year 2000
? Pilot equipment in advance
of June 2000 (transmission, maintenance, QA/QC)
Resolve beach advisory signage issue with Milwaukee County
?
Problem solve with County (parks, county supervisors, public works)
?
Establish consensus on sign content and format
? Establish posting protocol
beginning in June 2000
Explore alternative public relations for project and activities
?
Bus billboards (cost, coverage, frequency, etc.)
? Local newsprint (public
interest stories, health columns, etc.)
? Local television (beachhealth
alerts, daily reports)
? Presentations at events, forums, community
functions, schools
? Fact sheets, brochures, handouts, etc.
Sustainability of program
? GLWI plans (research)
? HD plans
(maintain public page of Web site, continue testing)
? MPS plans (outreach to
schools)
? Other partners (e.g., Wisconsin Lake Schooner educational
programming)
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 1 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
water, precipitation, risk, risk assessment, human health, pathogens, bacteria, indicators, modeling, monitoring, Wisconsin, WI., Scientific Discipline, Geographic Area, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Hydrology, Environmental Chemistry, State, Monitoring/Modeling, Environmental Monitoring, E. coli monitoring, rainfall model, time-relevant monitoring, web site development, recreational water, Wisconsin (WI), water quality, real-time monitoringRelevant Websites:
http://www.beachhealth.er.usgs.gov
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.