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Statistical Framework for Recreational Water Quality Criteria and Monitoring
Citation:
WYMER, L. J. Statistical Framework for Recreational Water Quality Criteria and Monitoring. Presented at 7th Annual Great Lakes Beach Association Meeting, Cincinnati, OH, October 03 - 05, 2007.
Impact/Purpose:
The objectives of this research are: (1) to develop, optimize, and/or evaluate rapid state-of-the-art measurement methods for detecting microorganisms that may indicate the presence of fecal pollution in recreational waters (beaches); (2) to develop and/or evaluate water sample concentration procedures to increase the sensitivity of some of the existing rapid methods; (3) to obtain, jointly with another EPA laboratory (NHEERL), a new set of water quality data and related health effects data at a variety of freshwater and estuarine/marine water beaches across the U.S. using new, rapid, same-day detection methods and the newly-developed EPA water sample collection protocol (from the EMPACT Study); (4) to analyze the research data set from the epidemiological study to evaluate the utility of the tested measurement methods and/or concentration techniques, the new EMPACT monitoring protocol, and the health effects data and questionnaire, in order to establish a relationship between measured microorganisms and observed health effects; and (4) to communicate the results to the USEPA Office of Water in support of their efforts to develop new state and/or federal guidelines and limits for water quality indicators of fecal contamination. Use of the newly-developed methods and health guidelines will permit beach managers and public health officials to alert the public about the potential health hazards in a timely manner before exposure to unsafe water can occur.
Description:
Discussion between the EPA Office of Research and Development (ORD) and the EPA Office of Water (OW), which is charged with setting criteria in accordance with the BEACH Act of 2000, have made it clear that in-depth statistical guidance for such criteria is needed. In January 2004, a workshop was conducted at ORD's research center in Cincinnati, Ohio, which attempted to address many of the statistical concerns expressed by OW and to develop an outline for a book on the subject. The demand for such a book was evident given that OW's questions were not unique, but were in fact being asked by all involved in assessing recreational water quality. Consequently, the book is aimed at public health officials, government regulators and the water microbiology science community in general. Contributors consist of preeminent leaders in environmental statistics and recreational water modeling. Individual chapters were written by those with expertise in the respective subject matter. European perspectives are included, along with those of the United States, Canada, and our colleagues "down under." Chapters are arranged in a logical progression covering the history of recreational water quality management, present-day management perspectives, rationale for the use of indicators, statistical process control and quality control concepts, sampling designs, uses of arithmetic and geometric means, case study in sampling, risk assessment modeling, concentration-response modeling, modeling and forecasting techniques as adjuncts to monitoring, and sensitivity analysis.