The Savannah Riverkeeper continues its quality alert for Betty’s Branch for the third week in a row after examining E. coli test results July 21.
“A water sample collected on Tuesday and read Wednesday found an E. coli reading ‘too numerous to count’ the highest reading recorded at the testing site over the last three years,” according to a press release from the Savannah Riverkeeper July 22.
MORE: Savannah Riverkeeper Monitoring E. coli Levels at Betty’s Branch
While not as high as the levels at Betty’s Branch, the test also showed high bacteria readings for Stevens Creek, the Savannah River at The Boat House and the New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam.
Due to the unusually high concentration found, the Savannah Riverkeeper is also continuing testing and shifting its focus to determining the source of the increased level of bacteria.
“The test that we’re running right now, the first reading will be in 24 hours,” said Tonya Bonitatibus, executive director of the Savannah Riverkeeper. “But really before we get all coliform, that number takes 48 hours.”
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The Savannah Riverkeeper regularly monitors bacteria levels in local recreational sites and tries to keep the public informed and educated with weekly updates in the swim guide at its website. This week’s results for Betty’s Branch were expected Wednesday.
“We collect 22 samples every single week, and we do those in batches of about six or seven a day, and so we try to collect at the same time same day of the week,” said Bonitatibus. “So if we release the results of that particular test on a Wednesday, traditionally that’s when the result will come in.”
Bonitatibus also notes that advisories are only released if there is an issue after testing. “If you don’t hear of a creek that week, that’s means it’s passed and on to ‘good,’ and then Friday we put out all the week’s results.”
The highest concentration of E. coli bacteria in allowed by the Environmental Protection Division is 359 CFU, or colony-forming units. The Savannah Riverkeeper swim guide reports its sample results in MPN, or most probable number, a similar unit of measurement. The test results Wednesday yielded a result of over 2,400 MPN.
The status changes from yellow to red at 360. Red is the special status by which a site is considered not safe for recreation. The testing results from July 14 had Betty’s Branch at 866.
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The Savannah Riverkeeper has observed that recent increase in E. coli levels in Betty’s Branch might be due to recent work at Stevens Creek Dam bringing unnaturally low water levels to Betty’s Branch.
“When you have low water level that doesn’t move much; it just gives bacteria a chance to really flourish,” said Truck Carlson, Veterans for Clean Water coordinator with the Savannah Riverkeeper.
Bonitatibus also emphasized that as well as other factors, including increased rain in Evans and the natural movement of the waters.
“It’s important to note that every time you visit the water, it’s not the same water,” she said. “The river and these creeks are very dynamic.” she said. “We’ll see when the next results come back that hopefully there’s a pretty obvious source that can be fixed or maybe possibly has even been fixed already and we’re just seeing residuals.”
To view the weekly swim guide, visit savannahriverkeeper.org/swimguide.html. A special page on the website is devoted to Betty’s Branch and its current situation at https://www.savannahriverkeeper.org/bettysbranch.html
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter with The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
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