Two types of human-associated bacteria and three types of human viruses were detected in Milwaukee streams within the Menomonee River watershed, according to a recent study led by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Two types of human-associated bacteria and three types of human viruses were detected in Milwaukee streams within the Menomonee River watershed, according to a recent study led by the U.S. Geological Survey.
“Leaky infrastructure and overflows from sanitary sewers can contaminate urban waterways, and the detection of human-associated bacteria and viruses indicates the presence of sewage, a potential health hazard,” said Peter Lenaker, a USGS scientist and the lead author of the study. “Results from our study can help Milwaukee-area water managers develop strategies to efficiently remediate or minimize sewage contamination.”
From 2009-2011, scientists with the USGS, U.S. Department of Agriculture and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee sampled surface water from six Menomonee River stream locations in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to measure human sewage contamination in the watershed. The scientists collected samples during periods of high water flow from rain, snowmelt or both, and periods of low water flow. They tested 228 samples for eight types of human viruses and for two types of bacteria that are associated with human waste.
The study found that human viruses were present in up to 38 percent of the samples and human bacteria were present much more frequently in the samples.
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Image via USGS.
