Kansas Water Science Center
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Comparison and Continuous Estimates of Indicator Bacteria in Kansas StreamsBy Patrick P. Rasmussen and Andrew C. Ziegler AbstractMore streams in Kansas are listed impaired because of high fecal coliform bacteria densities than because of any other contaminant. The sanitary quality of water and its use as a public supply and for recreational activities, such as swimming, wading, boating, and fishing, are currently evaluated on the basis of fecal coliform bacteria densities. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is considering replacing the current (2002) fecal coliform criteria with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) recommended Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with KDHE assessed the sanitary
quality of water at 28 surface-water sites on the basis of fecal coliform bacteria
(FCB) and Escherichia coli bacteria (ECB) densities from May 1999 through April
2002. Of the 219 samples collected during the recreation months (April through
October 31), 21 percent exceeded 2,000 colonies per 100 milliliters of water,
the single-sample secondary use criterion for FCB in Kansas, and 36 percent
exceeded the USEPA recommended single-sample primary contact recreational criterion
for ECB (576 colonies per 100 milliliters of water). The ratio of ECB to FCB
for the samples collected ranged from 0.58 to 0.93. The geometric mean of the
ECB/FCB ratios for all of the 318 samples collected throughout the study was
0.77, indicating that exceedances of USEPA recommended ECB criteria were more
frequent than the current State FCB criteria. Ratios were smallest at sites
with slightly saline water, suggesting that ECB may not be a good indicator
of sanitary quality for these streams. Rasmussen, P.P., and Ziegler, A.C., 2003, Comparison of continuous estimates of indicator bacteria in Kansas streams, in Proceedings of 2003 Spring Specialty Conference on Agricultural Hydrology and Water Quality, May 12-14, 2003, Kansas City, Missouri: Middleburg, Virginia, American Water Resources Association, AWRA Technical Publication Series No. TPS-03-1, compact disc. Additional information about this study is available at:
For additional information contact: Patrick Rasmussen |
U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
URL: /pubs/abstracts/awra.tps031-ppr.html
Page Contact Information: GS-W-KS_info@usgs.gov
Page Last Modified:Thursday, 05-Jan-2012 16:11:38 CST
The USGS has collected hydrologic information in Kansas since 1895 with the first USGS Cooperative
Water Program funding agreement for 6 streamflow gages with the Kansas Water Board. USGS collects streamflow
and gage-height data; reservoir content; water-quality and water-quantity data; suspended-sediment data;
and groundwater levels. Hydrologic studies are conducted on national, regional, statewide, and local levels.
The USGS in Kansas works cooperatively with 31 Federal, State, and local agencies, such as the Kansas Water Office, the U.S.Army Corps of Engineers, and the City of Wichita