GREAT LAKES BEACH CONFERENCE 2002
October 30, 2002
Chicago, Illinois
AGENDA
9:00-9:05
Logistics, Information, Introductions
Richard Whitman, USGS
9:05-9:15
Welcome From City of Chicago
Marcia Jimenez, Commissioner
Department of Environment, Chicago
9:15-9:25
Welcome From Chicago Park District
Dave Doig, General Superintendent, CPD
9:25-9:30
Comments, International Joint Commission
Honorable Dennis Schornack, US Chair, IJC
9:30-10:00
Current Activities, National Beach Program
Rick Hoffmann, National Team Leader, EPA
10:00-10:30
State Beach Coordinators Reports (Holly Wirick)
10:30-10:45
Break
10:45-11:45
Poster Briefings: Investigations (Sheridan Haack)
11:45-12:30
Poster Briefings: Models
12:30-2:00
Lunch/ Business Meeting
2:00-2:50
Poster Briefings: Methods
2:50-3:30
Poster Briefings: Information Systems
3:30-4:15
Poster Session and Break
4:15-5:00
Discussion (Richard Whitman)
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SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL PRESENTATIONS
INVESTIGATIONS
Fecal Indicator Abundance Higher In Freshwater Bathing Beach Sand Than In Water
Column by E.W. Alm, J.M. Burke, E.L. Francis, and A.J. Matthews, Central Michigan
University, Mt. Pleasant, MI
Distribution and Characterization of E. coli in the Dunes Creek Watershed, Indiana
Dunes State Park by M.N. Byappanahalli, M. Fowler, M.B. Nevers, D. Shively, and
R.L. Whitman, United States Geological Survey, Porter, IN
Concentrations of Escherichia coli in the Swash Zone at Four Ohio Bathing Beaches by
Donna S. Francy and Amie M. Gifford, U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources
Discipline, Columbus, OH
Studies on E. coli in ditch sediments entering Maumee Bay by Lou Glatzer, A.
Harpster, J. Mack, and N. Hatfield. The Lake Erie Center, The University of Toledo,
Oregon, OH (late submission, poster available)
Environmental Influences on Numbers of E. coli and Enterococci in Beach Water, Grand
Traverse Bay, Michigan by S. K. Haack, L. R. Fogarty, U.S. Geological Survey,
Lansing, MI and C. Wright, Grand Traverse Bay Watershed Center, Traverse City, MI
Evaluation of Beach Grooming Techniques on Escherichia coli Densities in Foreshore
Sands at North Beach, Racine, WI by J. L. Kinzelman1,2, R. L. Whitman3, M. N.
Byappanahalli3, E. K. Jackson4, and R. C. Bagley1; 1City of Racine Health Department,
Racine, WI, 2Univ. of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 3U.S. Geological Survey, Porter, IN,
4Univ. of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom
Urban Stormwater Contributions to Poor Water Quality in the Menomonee River,
Milwaukee, Wisconsin by Alissa K. Salmore and Sandra L. McLellan, University of
Wisconsin - Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI
MODELS
Preliminary Comparative Analysis of Two Models Used to Predict E. coli Levels in
Recreational Water in Milwaukee by Mary Ellen Bruesch and Paul A. Biedrzycki, City
of Milwaukee Health Department, Milwaukee, WI
Predictive Models for Escherichia coli at Ohio Bathing Beaches by Donna S. Francy
and Robert A. Darner, U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Discipline, Columbus,
OH
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Elements of a Predictive Model for Determining Beach Closures on a Real Time Basis:
The case of 63rd Street Beach, Chicago by G. A. Olyphant, Department of Geological
Sciences and Center for Geospatial Data Analysis, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
and R. L. Whitman. U.S. Geological Survey, Porter, IN
Modeling the Variability of Escherichia coli at West Beach, Indiana Using GIS:
Implications for Beach Management by Sharyl J. M. Rabinovici, US Geological
Survey, Menlo Park, CA and Richard Whitman, US Geological Survey, Porter, IN
METHODS
New Approaches to Rapid Testing of Indicators of Fecal Contamination.
Alfred Dufour, US EPA, Cincinnati, OH, G. Anderson, US Navy, Washington, DC, and
R. Whitman USGS, Porter, IN
Rapid Method for Detecting E. coli in Recreational Water Using Immunomagnetic
Separation and ATP Bioluminescence by JiYoung Lee, R. A. Deininger and A.
Ancheta, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (poster will be available, Lee and
coauthors unable to attend)
Sequence-based source tracking of Escherichia coli based on genetic diversity of betaglucuronidase by Jeffrey L. Ram, Raquel P. Ritchie, Jianwen Fang and Felicitas S.
Gonzales, Department of Physiology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI (late
submission, abstract and poster available)
Discriminating E. coli Isolated from Various Human and Nonhuman Sources Based on
Analysis of Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) Patterns by W. T. Evert Ting,
Debra S. Johnson, and Charles C. Tseng, Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue
University Calumet, Hammond, IN.
A Preliminary Study of the Sources of E. coli Contamination at Marquette Park Beach
by Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA typing by W.T. Evert Ting and Charles C.
Tseng, Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University Calumet, Hammond, IN
Differentiation of E. coli Isolated from Human and Nonhuman Sources Using
Automated Ribotyping Method by Charles C. Tseng, Debra J. Johnson, and W.T. Evert
Ting, Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University Calumet, Hammond, IN
Application of Petrifilm for Escherichia coli Monitoring by Janet H. Vail, Annis Water
Resources Institute, Muskegon, MI
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INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Dissemination of Beach Water Quality Information and Notification Nationwide by Tim
Gormley, Earth 911, Phoenix, AZ (unable to attend)
Lake Michigan Federation Annual Coastal Community Survey Results by Laurel
O'Sullivan, Lake Michigan Federation, Chicago, IL
Report for U. S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Great Lakes Beach Monitoring
Program 1998-2001 by David Rockwell and Martha Aviles-Quinterro, Great Lakes
National Program Office, Chicago, IL
BEACHCAST: Developing an Information Model to Support Beach Monitoring in the
Great Lakes Region by Kevin Yam and Christine Manninen, Great Lakes Commission,
Ann Arbor, MI
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ABSTRACTS
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL SESSION
Great Lakes Beach Conference 2002
Fecal Indicator Abundance Higher In Freshwater Bathing Beach Sand Than In
Water Column
Elizabeth W. Alm, J. M. Burke, E.L. Francis, and A.J. Matthews, Central Michigan
University, Mt. Pleasant, MI.
Densities of the fecal indicator bacteria Escherichia coli and enterococci were monitored
at six public bathing beaches on Lake Huron and the St. Clair River during the summers
of 2001 and 2002. Populations were enumerated in water and in sand from the wavewashed (swash) zone. Further, an integrated 20-cm dry sand sample was collected
about 5 m above the swash zone in 2002. At each beach and in both years, cultivable
fecal indicator bacteria were more abundant in wet sand than in the overlying water.
Compared to water, enterococci counts in wet sand were 2 to 34x higher and E. coli
counts were 2 to 50x higher. In water, mean summer counts of E. coli were 4x higher
than enterococci in 2001, but densities of the two indicators did not differ in 2002. In
wet sand, the counts of the two indicators did not differ in either year. Overall, indicator
populations were larger and more variable in time in 2002 than in 2001. Sand cores
from the dry-sand zone exhibited different abundance patterns, with a clear trend for a
decline in both indicator populations moving northward. No correlations existed
between densities of indicator bacteria in water and any swash-zone sand stratum.
Combined with the higher counts of indicators in the wet sand, this suggests that the
bacteria are actively colonizing the sand environment rather than moving passively
through the sand in contaminated water. Our findings of large, viable populations of
fecal bacteria to at least 20 cm in swash-zone sand, even when counts in water are well
below safe limits, strongly suggest that fecal bacteria persist after a contamination
event.
Despite the dynamic nature of these beaches, the sand environment
consistently supported higher densities of fecal bacteria than did the water, and
indicates the potential presence of fecal pathogens.
Preliminary Comparative Analysis of Two Models Used to Predict E. coli Levels in
Recreational Water in Milwaukee
Mary Ellen Bruesch MS and Paul A. Biedrzycki MBA, MPH, City of Milwaukee Health
Department, Division of Disease Control and Prevention
The City of Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) has monitored surface water at three
beaches (South Shore, McKinley and Bradford) since the 1960s to provide advisories
when water quality does not meet the EPA threshold of 235 MPN E. coli /100 mL. The
primary variables used to assess health risk are: 1.) E. coli levels in samples collected
18-24 hours prior and 2.) amount of rainfall, occasionally resulting in public advisories
not being posted during times when the EPA threshold had been exceeded.
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In 2001, the MHD, as part of a US-EPA EMPACT Project, developed new predictive
models for South Shore and Bradford, which integrated additional variables in order to
improve overall predictive values. Resultant data was used to better describe variations
in E. coli levels at those beaches, using a multivariate regression model.
In 2002, the new multivariate models were evaluated. The South Shore Model used
data from an automated monitoring station including rainfall, wind vector, water
temperature, conductivity, pH, turbidity, and Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) volume.
The Bradford Model used wind vector, CSO volume, water temperature, algae level and
turbidity to predict the E. coli result. The South Shore model showed better sensitivity,
but specificity could not be determined because the model never predicted an E. coli
level below 235 MPN/100 mL. Another model for South Shore was also tested and
found to be less sensitive, but more specific. Sensitivity improved when the model was
used in conjunction with consideration of previous day E. coli levels. The Bradford
model demonstrated similar sensitivity to that of the traditional model, and higher
specificity.
The MHD believes that the above data support the development and use of a
multivariate model approach to predicting water quality. This approach can be less
costly and may also improve sensitivity and predictive value resulting in fewer days of
involuntary public exposure to contaminated water.
Distribution and Characterization of E. coli in the Dunes Creek Watershed,
Indiana Dunes State Park
M. N. Byappanahalli, M. Fowler, M. B. Nevers, D. Shively, and R. L. Whitman
United States Geological Survey, Porter, Indiana
Dunes Creek is a small Lake Michigan coastal stream that drains wetlands and aquifers
within Indiana Dunes State Park in Porter, Indiana. Elevated counts of E. coli have
been a persistent problem in the creek and receiving beach, but no point sources of
contaminants have been found. Consequently, we sought to understand the specific
sources of E. coli within a central branch of the creek. Water (1999-2000) and riparian
sand (2001) samples were analyzed for E. coli using the membrane filtration and
Colilert-18® methods, respectively. Weekly E coli numbers in creek water samples
(n=898) ranged from 1-7000 CFU/100 mL with a mean of 772 + 35 CFU/100 mL.
Preliminary studies along five pre-selected transects perpendicular to the stream
revealed median E. coli concentrations (MPN/100 g) of 650, 1541, 240, 1.1, 1.2, 1.4 and
1.3 for submerged sediments and exposed sand at 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 m from margin,
respectively; creek water contained 496 CFU/100 mL. E. coli density was then
determined for water and sands (stream, and margin, 0.25, 1 and 4 m landward) from
15 randomly selected transects along the creek’s length. Median concentration of E.
coli in water was 1089 MPN/100 mL whereas submerged, margin, bank and forest
sands contained 7078, 2827, 2116 and 1288 MPN/100 g, respectively. E. coli tended to
decrease slightly upstream. Stream sediments were higher than exposed sands (p =
0.05). E. coli counts in creek and submerged sands were correlated (p = 0.05), as were
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margin and 1 m sands inland (p = 0.001). These studies clearly suggest that E. coli
could persist in stream waters and adjacent riparian sands, especially along wetted
margins. Consequently, elevated E. coli densities in Dunes Creek are mostly
attributable to contributions from submerged sediments and adjacent riparian sands. In
these situations, the use of E. coli as dependable water quality indicator of sewage may
be unreliable.
New Approaches to Rapid Testing of Indicators of Fecal Contamination.
A. Dufour, US EPA, Cincinnati, OH, G. Anderson, US Navy, Washington, DC, and R.
Whitman, USGS, Porter, IN
The traditional methods used to monitor the quality of recreational waters require
24 to 48 hours before results are available. This delay provides a situation where the
potential health risk associated with positive findings of poor water quality are identified
long after recreationists are exposed. Since adverse health effects have been
associated with swimming in recreational waters of poor quality, it is in the public’s
interest to eliminate this shortcoming in our current monitoring practices. A solution to
this problem is to develop an inexpensive, fast, easy, specific and accurate test, which
will give near real-time results regarding the quality of bathing waters. There are a
small number of biosensor technologies that may meet the characteristics listed above
and that may be available in the near future. Biosensors are analytical devices that
integrate microorganisms, enzymes, antibodies or nucleic acids into optical,
electrochemical or other forms of electronic devices to yield a signal, which is
proportional to the concentration of the analyte. The technologies to be described fall
into three categories: those that make use of enzyme reactions, those that use
antibodies as immobilizing or labeling proteins and those that identify specific nucleic
acids. Each of the categories will be discussed with regard to specific biosensor
instrumentation technology, with special attention given to sensitivity and specificity.
The advantages and disadvantages of these rapid methods for measuring the quality of
recreational waters will be addressed, as well as their potential availability for monitoring
purposes.
Predictive Models for Escherichia coli at Ohio Bathing Beaches
Donna S. Francy and Robert A. Darner, U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources
Discipline, Columbus, OH
This study was done in cooperation with the Ohio Water Development Authority,
Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, Ohio Lake Erie Office, Cuyahoga County Board
of Health, Cuyahoga County Sanitary Engineers, and Cuyahoga River Community
Planning Organization.
Because current methods using antecedent Escherichia coli (E. coli) concentrations to
assess recreational water quality take at least 18 hours to complete, the sample results
may not reflect actual conditions. To address this problem, the U.S. Geological Survey
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conducted a study during 2000 and 2001 at six Lake Erie beaches and one inland lake
in Ohio with the goal of developing models for predicting current bacterial water-quality
conditions.
Environmental and water-quality factors related to E. coli concentrations were used as
explanatory variables in beach-specific multiple-linear regression models. For Lake Erie
beaches, factors included wave height, number of birds on the beach at the time of
sampling, lake-current direction, rainfall, turbidity, and streamflow. For the inland lake,
factors included date, wind direction and speed, and rainfall. The probability of
exceeding the Ohio single-sample bathing-water standard for E. coli (235 colonies per
100 milliliters) was used as the model output variable because the prediction errors in
the models were too large to accurately estimate concentrations of E. coli. Based on
examination of model predictions and observed E. coli concentrations, threshold
probabilities were selected to aid the determination of when water-quality was likely to
be impaired. Computed probabilities that are less than a threshold probability indicate
to the beach manager that bacterial water quality is likely acceptable; computed
probabilities above the threshold probability indicate that the beach should be posted
with a water-quality advisory.
The models and selected thresholds will be applied in 2002 to determine how well
predictions of impairment compare to current methods for assessing recreational water
quality. If, over time, the probability-based models predict impairment of recreational
water quality as well as or better than current methods, beach managers may consider
using the models to aid in decisions on posting beach advisories. This would provide
more timely and accurate assessments to the public.
Concentrations of Escherichia coli in the Swash Zone at Four Ohio Bathing
Beaches
Donna S. Francy and Amie M. Gifford, U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources
Discipline, Columbus, OH
This study was done in cooperation with the Ohio Water Development Authority,
Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, Ohio Lake Erie Office, Cuyahoga County Board
of Health, Cuyahoga County Sanitary Engineers, and Cuyahoga River Community
Planning Organization.
The zone of the shoreline that is washed by waves or tides, called the swash zone, has
been suggested as a possible habitat for waterborne pathogens. To investigate this
possibility, the U.S. Geological Survey determined the distribution of Escherichia coli (E.
coli) in subsurface sediments and interstitial waters collected from near the swash zone
(“swash-zone materials”) at three Lake Erie beaches and one inland lake during 2000
and 2001. Water and lake-bottom sediment samples were also collected from within
the bathing areas and analyzed for E. coli, and the bathing-water data were compared
to swash-zone data to determine whether swash zone materials were enriched with E.
coli.
8
Wide ranges of E. coli concentrations were found in swash-zone materials.
Concentrations of E. coli in interstitial waters ranged from less than 3 to 400,000
colonies per 100 milliliters; in subsurface sediments they ranged from less than 1 to
30,000 colonies per gram dry weight of sediment.
Median concentrations of E. coli
were higher in subsurface sediments collected near the swash zone than in lake-bottom
sediments collected within the bathing areas at two of the four beaches. Concentrations
of E. coli in interstitial waters collected on the same date and about 100 feet apart on
the same beach differed by 1 to more than 2 orders of magnitude. Concentrations of E.
coli in swash-zone materials collected during February were in the same range as
concentrations in many samples collected during the summer.
Although there are no regulatory standards for E. coli in swash-zone materials, the high
concentrations found in this study could be of some concern for public health.
Additional work is needed to better define in space and time the distributions of E. coli
and pathogen concentrations in swash-zone materials and to determine the factors that
affect these concentrations.
Studies on E. coli in ditch sediments entering Maumee Bay
L. Glatzer, A. Harpster, J. Mack, and N. Hatfield. The Lake Erie Center, The University
of Toledo. Oregon, OH
We have been pursuing sources of bacterial pollution which have led to numerous
beach advisories at the Maumee Bay State Park (MBSP), OH since 1995. We have
focused on E. coli, which typically exceeds the EPA benchmark of 126/100 ml, using
both 3M Petrifilm as well as the Idexx Colilert-18 assays. The samplings in the summers
of 1996-98 have led us to focus on the ditches that drain the flat farmland and fields
east of the Maumee River as non-point sources of the problem. A preliminary study of
E. coli longevity in the summer of 2000 from several of these ditch sediments using
microcosms suggests that unflushed top sediments serve as long or medium range
bacterial reservoirs that can be released with heavy rain events. We have tested these
hypotheses with a two-summer study of the Wolf Creek/Berger Ditch sediments; these
sediment flows exit at the MBSP Marina, which is directly adjacent to the Lake Erie
recreational beach at the park. Among the findings are: 1) Clay-Silt sediment titers of E.
coli can range from 100 to 13,000 CFUs /g wet wgt (dollop in middle of palm). 2)
Sediment titer varies from day to day or week to week at the 17 sample sites with a
predominance of high titers in the middle of the 10+ mile watershed length 3) A heavy
rain event (2-2.5 inches) flushed the Wolf Creek sediment reservoir with two peaks in
the first four hours of drainage; the first likely an impervious flush followed quickly by a
large peak (46,000 CFUs/100 ml) representing sediment release. Titers remain high
(4000+ CFUs/100 ml) for at least 16 hours and likely 24-36 hours. 4) Post-flush titers of
the ditch waters (48-72 hours) are dramatically reduced showing primarily titers less
than 126/100 ml. Reestablishment of sediment reservoir status was examined but has
been hampered by the drought of the summer (2002). Controlled studies with
microcosms of Wolf Creek sediments are currently underway.
Supported buy a Grant from Northwest Ohio-TMACOG and the ODNR.
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Dissemination of Beach Water Quality Information and Notification Nationwide
Tim Gormley, Earth 911, Phoenix, AZ
The Earth 911 Beach Reporting System delivers national, real-time recreational water
quality testing results to the public through Earth 911 (www.Earth911.org / 1-800CLEANUP). It is a simple, innovative and reliable solution to the BEACH legislation of
October 2000, requiring public notification of beach water monitoring and information
from all coastal and Great Lake states. In partnership with OCEANA, local government
agencies and coastal communities, Earth 911 has implemented an effective and
unprecedented medium to communicate health information to beach-goers. Giving
agencies that specialize in water monitoring access to a database through a secure
Internet interface ensures that these industry experts can fulfill their duties as identified
in the BEACH legislation, namely relaying accurate monitoring reports in real-time to the
public. As a clearinghouse, Earth 911 delivers with expertise this valuable and deficient
information. This and other public notification services are provided using state-of-theart computer and telephone systems through this well-known public service.
Online or through a bilingual hotline, the public enters a ZIP Code to find local
environmental information and resources. Coastal communities have an additional
section for the Beach Reporting System, which, in addition to providing water conditions
and beach closures, educates the public about the effects of water pollution on human
health, business and the environment and with proactive solutions to prevent water
pollution.
The Beach Reporting System will expand to report on other recreational waterways as it
grows beyond its current 434 reporting stations. Earth 911 is the communication
resource network for empowering people to be part of the environmental solution.
Environmental Influences on Numbers of E. coli and Enterococci in Beach Water,
Grand Traverse Bay, Michigan
S. K. Haack, L. R. Fogarty, U.S. Geological Survey, Lansing, MI and Chris Wright,
Grand Traverse Bay Watershed Center, Traverse City, MI
We report on data collected during a Pilot Study (2000) and a Trial Monitoring Program
(2001) at beaches in the Grand Traverse Bay, Michigan. During the Pilot Study, E. coli
and enterococci at 3 beaches in the southern end of the bay were similarly correlated
with wind speed or direction, wave height, total suspended solids (TSS), and morning
collection time and occurred at similar concentrations in bird feces (10 8/d/bird), stormdrain water (107/d) or river water (1011/d). Concentrations in shallow swash zone and
knee-deep coarse beach sands, shallow ground water, and water with detritus were 0.125 times those in beach water. Sand suspension experiments did not result in high
numbers of E. coli or enterococci in beach water. Enterococci-based criteria were
exceeded more frequently than E. coli-based criteria, offering conflicting interpretations
10
of recreational water quality. Both the Pilot Study and Trial Monitoring Program
indicated a 48-72 hr lag between rainfall runoff and subsequent effects on E. coli
numbers at southern-end beaches, while E. coli numbers at beaches on the West and
East Bay shorelines were correlated with 24-hr antecedent rainfall. These results
suggest an association between indicator bacteria concentrations at the southern-end
beaches and the 3-5 day cycle of shifts in low- and high- pressure weather systems
dominating the region. Together, the Pilot Study and Monitoring Program demonstrate
that monitoring methods (time of day, frequency) may influence the ability to discern
predictive variables that might subsequently be used in conceptual or regression
models of beach water quality. In addition, these two efforts demonstrate the need to
understand regional hydrodynamics and weather patterns and their interactions with
local sources.
Samples for development of predictive models and for source
determination studies should be collected with both regional and local environmental
factors in mind.
Rapid Method for Detecting E. coli in Recreational Water Using Immunomagnetic
Separation and ATP Bioluminescence
J. Lee, R. A. Deininger and A. Ancheta, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
The purpose of this study was to develop a fast and reliable method for testing
recreational water samples for E. coli on-site and in a very short time. The current test
method (m-TEC agar) takes 24 hours. The closure of beaches based upon the test
results of previous day is not appropriate for the protection of the swimmers. It also
causes a delay in reopening the beaches which is not in the interest of the public. The
need for a fast method that provides reliable results of E. coli counts has been widely
recognized among the responsible health departments. In this study, immunomagnetic
separation (IMS) and ATP bioluminescence were used. Beach samples were collected
from two Great Lakes beaches (Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie) and two inland beaches
(Independence Lake and Byram Lake) located in southeastern Michigan by cooperating
health departments during the summer of 2001. The beach samples were prefiltered
with a filter pore size of 20 microns in order to remove algae, plant debris and large
particles. The results showed that the prefiltration step did not significantly decrease
the bacterial concentration of the original water samples. The prefiltered water was then
passed through a 0.45 micron pore size filter which was directly connected with the
prefiltration unit. The removal of the bacteria from the final filter for further processing
(IMS-ATP bioluminescence) was done by two methods: resuspension in buffer or back
flushing with a syringe while still in the filter holder. Both methods were equally efficient.
The resuspended bacterial solution was mixed with superparamagnetic polystyrene
beads (diameter of 0.6 micron) that were coated with E. coli antibodies. After IMS, the
quantification of the target bacteria was done by ATP bioluminescence. The results
obtained with IMS-ATP bioluminescence correlated well with the plate count method
(Rsq=0.93). The assay could detect the bacteria down to a level of 20 CFU/100ml,
which is well below the EPA criteria for recreational water, namely a geometric average
of 130 CFU/100ml and an individual sample of less than 300 CFU/100ml. The entire
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procedure can be completed in less than an hour. The necessary equipment is portable
and was tested on-site.
Evaluation of Beach Grooming Techniques on Escherichia coli Densities in
Foreshore Sands at North Beach, Racine, WI
J. L. Kinzelman, City of Racine Health Department and University of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, WI, R. L. Whitman and M. N. Byappanahalli, US Geological Survey, Porter,
IN, E. K. Jackson, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom, and R. C. Bagley,
City of Racine Health Department, Racine, WI
Elevated levels of Escherichia coli in bathing waters at North Beach, a popular
recreational site in Racine, Wisconsin, have been a persistent problem often resulting in
closures. It is believed that increased E. coli counts are likely due to non-point source
contamination. Moreover, high populations of seagulls in nearshore and offshore areas
are common and may serve as sources for contamination. In Racine, the current beach
management practice involves daily grooming of the nearshore sands for aesthetic
improvements. However, this practice has not been evaluated in terms of its effects on
viable E. coli loading to beach sands and consequently, swimming waters. To address
this issue we tested E. coli responses to three treatments: mechanical groomer (Surf
Rake®), daily and twice weekly hand-raking and a negative control (no
raking/grooming). A randomized block design consisted of replicated treatments and a
control (10 each) for a total of 40 blocks sampled daily for 10 days. Foreshore sand
samples were collected by hand coring to an average depth of 10 cm, taken to the
laboratory then eluted and analyzed for E. coli by the membrane filtration technique
using mTEC agar. Median E. coli (CFU per g fresh weight of sand) were 73, 27, 32 and
22 for mechanically groomed, daily and twice weekly hand-raked, and control,
respectively. There were no significant differences between no (control), daily, and twice
weekly hand-raking (p=0.01). However, sands mechanically groomed were significantly
higher than hand-raking treatments or control (p<0.001). E. coli in sands subjected to
mechanical grooming tended to increase over time relative to hand-raking treatments
and control. This study reveals, for the first time, that grooming may not have a
desirable effect on E. coli levels in nearshore sands nor possibly, recreational waters.
Further studies on mechanical grooming depth, intensity and efficiency deserve
consideration.
Annual Coastal Community Survey Results
Laurel O'Sullivan, Lake Michigan Federation, Chicago, IL
Community level understanding and input is imperative to developing ultimate solutions
to beach health problems. On an annual basis the Lake Michigan Federation’s Citizens’
Center for Beach Health conducts a survey of beach closing numbers from every
coastal community around Lake Michigan. This year we added a new dimension to try
and assess other parameters beyond just monitoring and closing data, including source
identification, and beach management practices.
This adjustment has been
implemented, in part, from community level work we conducted during the 2002 beach
season. As part of this research we’ve learned that beach management and source
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identification are not given the same attention as beach monitoring. It has also been
our experience that every community is starting from a different place when it comes to
beach health issues, so that there is no “one size fits all” approach for addressing some
of these complicated problems. The Federation will present its findings from its survey
and discuss the results in the context of some of these larger policy implications. The
Lake Michigan Federation, formed in 1970, is the oldest citizens' Great Lakes
organization in North America. The Lake Michigan Federation works to restore fish and
wildlife habitat, conserve land and water, and eliminate toxics in the watershed of
America's largest lake. It achieves these through education, research, law, science,
economics, and strategic partnerships.
Elements of a Predictive Model for Determining Beach Closures on a Real Time
Basis: The case of 63rd Street Beach, Chicago.
G. A. Olyphant, Department of Geological Sciences and Center for Geospatial Data
Analysis, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN and R. L. Whitman. U.S. Geological
Survey, Porter, IN
During the summer of 2000, there were 57 occasions when hydrometeorological
conditions at 63rd Street Beach in Chicago were being monitored at the same time that
samples were collected for bacterial (E.coli) concentrations. These data were used to
calibrate a statistical forecasting equation and to evaluate the predictive capability of the
best-fit model. A wide range of hydrologic, meteorologic, and water quality variables
were evaluated as possible predictive variables. The best-fit model combined realtime
measurements of wind direction and speed (onshore component of resultant wind
vector), rainfall, incoming solar radiation, lake stage and wave height, water
temperature and turbidity to predict the log E.coli concentration in the swimming zone of
the beach. The model, which contained both linear and multiplicative (interaction)
terms, accounted for 71 percent of the observed variability in the log E.coli
concentrations measured on the 57 separate occasions. A comparison between model
predictions of when the beach should be closed, and when the actual bacterial
concentrations were above or below the 235 cfu/100 ml threshold value, indicated that
the model accurately predicted openings versus closures 86 percent of the time.
Modeling the Variability of Escherichia coli at West Beach, Indiana Using GIS:
Implications for Beach Management
Sharyl J.M. Rabinovici, US Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA and Richard Whitman,
US Geological Survey, Porter, IN
Recent microbiologic studies conducted by the US Geological Survey and others
suggest that E. coli bacteria in fresh water beach environments may exhibit spatial and
temporal variability that could reduce the effectiveness of existing water quality
monitoring programs and beach closure policies. In the absence of inexpensive rapid
testing methods, predictive and spatial modeling of E. coli offers a promising method of
13
analysis that may lead to improved monitoring approaches, public warning systems and
public health outcomes.
The USGS is currently applying Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to
assess episodic high E. coli levels at West Beach, Indiana. Utilizing data collected by
the U.S. EPA over a sixty-two day period in the summer of 2000, the project explores
the variability of E. coli using visualization, regression, and geostatistical techniques.
The resulting models and maps are being used to assess the impact of variability on the
usefulness of current testing and closure practices, and to make recommendations for
water quality and beach management polices.
We will also report on a new cooperative initiative underway that will integrate existing
water quality monitoring data from multiple jurisdictions into a GIS at two different scales
to investigate the regional trends and contributing factors which may contribute to beach
closures due to high bacteria counts in southern Lake Michigan.
Sequence-based source tracking of Escherichia coli based on genetic diversity of
beta-glucuronidase
Jeffrey L. Ram, Raquel P. Ritchie, Jianwen Fang, and Felicitas S. Gonzales.
Department of Physiology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
High levels of bacteria are a concern for many freshwater beaches; however the source
of contamination is often unknown. Source tracking techniques such as ribotyping and
antibiotic resistance analysis depend on genetic differences between bacterial strains,
but provide no direct information on the specific sequence differences between the
indicator strains. This study describes a new technique based on the analysis of
sequence differences of a particular genetic locus, the gene for beta-glucuronidase
(bglu). A 525-nucleotide segment of bglu was sequenced in 942 isolates collected on 7
days in the Clinton River/Lake St. Clair watershed. 114 different alleles were found, and
these fell into 11 genetic groupings, according to genetic tree analysis. The frequency
with which strains from different genetic groups were present differed significantly
(p<0.025) between upstream reaches (Bear Creek/Red Run), downstream reaches
(Clinton River “delta”), and Lake St. Clair beaches. The same segment of the bglu gene
was sequenced in 182 isolates from feces of birds, pets, farm animals, and humans,
which had 81 different alleles that overlapped with the environmental set. An algorithm
to assign specific alleles to different host sources averaged ~70% correct classification
with the fecal data set. Applying the same algorithm to the environmental isolates, we
found that the percent of assignable isolates attributed to humans decreased
significantly between Bear Creek/Red Run (30 + 3%) and the Lake St. Clair beaches
(18 + 2%) (ANOVA, p<0.02). The same algorithm applied to 36 isolates from an
upstream combined sewer (Twelve Towns Drain) assigned an estimated 60% of
assignable isolates to humans. At all environmental sites, birds accounted for the
largest percentage of assignable isolates (approximately 50%), a similar value to a
ribotype study previously performed by Samadpour at another Lake St. Clair beach.
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These experiments demonstrate geographic structure in the frequency of different E.
coli strains in a watershed, and provide a “proof in principle” that sequence-based data
can be used for microbial source tracking. (supported by the Michigan Dept. of
Community Health and the US Army Corps of Engineers)
Report for U. S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Great Lakes Beach
Monitoring Program 1998-2001.
David Rockwell and Martha Aviles-Quinterro, Great Lakes National Program Office,
Chicago, IL
The U.S. EPA and the Great Lakes National Program Office, support a long term, beach
closure and advisory survey of beaches on the Laurentian Great Lakes.
Waters used for recreational activities involving body contact should be substantially
free from pathogens, including bacteria, parasites, and viruses, that may harm human
health. EPA has recommended the use of E. Coli as an indicator for human health.
U.S. EPA’s bacteria criteria recommendations for E. coli are a geometric mean of 126
colony forming units per 100 ml. Monitoring levels have increased after 1999 with an
increase in the number of beach advisories and closings. Variability in the data from
year to year may result from changing seasonal weather conditions, and may not be
solely due to actual increases or decreases in levels of microbial contaminants.
Location of high risk beaches for 2000 and 2001 will be mapped. Monitoring practices,
closures and advisories will be presented for 1998-2001.
Urban Stormwater Contributions to Poor Water Quality in the Menomonee River,
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Alissa K. Salmore and Sandra L. McLellan, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, Great
Lakes WATER Institute, Milwaukee, WI,
Urban stormwater introduces high loads of fecal bacteria as well as other pollutants into
rivers and lakes. These contaminants originate from a variety of non-point sources,
sanitary sewage connections, and combined sewer overflow events, and may be
delivered to nearshore recreational waters when beaches are located in close proximity to
estuaries or storm outfalls. In order to assess the impact of urban stormwater on bacterial
water quality, we investigated the loading of Escherichia coli (E. coli) from stormwater into
the Menomonee River, which ultimately discharges to Lake Michigan. Samples were
collected at ten sites along a 10-mile transect above the estuary before and after four
storm events. E. coli levels in the river averaged 1100 CFU/100 ml during dry weather,
while post-rainfall levels averaged 7200 CFU/100 ml. E. coli levels in stormwater
sampled directly from inline drainage systems ranged from 1000 to >650,000 CFU/100
ml. Preliminary molecular analysis of a limited number of E. coli isolates from inline
stormwater showed DNA fingerprints distinct from those of known host sources including
humans, cows, and gulls. Ongoing studies entail using comparative microbial, chemical,
15
and genetic data from urban stormwater and baseflow river water from this study to
develop a characteristic signature for urban storm water in the Menomonee River. These
data will be used to track urban stormwater contamination in the Menomonee River and
near shore Lake Michigan surface waters.
Discriminating E. coli Isolated from Various Human and Nonhuman Sources
Based on Analysis of Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) Patterns
W. T. Evert Ting, Debra S. Johnson, and Charles C. Tseng, Department of Biological
Sciences, Purdue University Calumet, Hammond, IN
Bacterial source tracking is a rapid growing field in environmental studies. A number of
DNA fingerprinting techniques have been used for tracking the source of E. coli. In this
study, we used random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique to discriminate E.
coli isolated from various human (feces, blood, urine, sewage), sources and nonhuman
(seagull, goose, chicken, pig, cow, and horse) fecal sources. Over 500 E. coli isolates
were collected and identified. The DNA of each was amplified with 3 primers (2, 1247
and 1293) individually using Ready-To-GoTM Analysis Beads (Amersham). Then, the
RAPD fingerprints generated from the 3 primers were combined and analyzed with the
BioNumericsTM software (Applied Maths). Jackknife analysis showed that 80% of the
279 human (fecal, urine, and sewage) isolates and 77% of the 225 nonhuman isolates
could be correctly assigned to their groups by comparing their RAPD patterns and
calculating the maximum similarity. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) for
discriminating the E. coli RAPD patterns revealed that human and nonhuman E. coli
isolates can be separated based on the most significant discriminant. On the 2-D plot,
majority of the human (fecal, urine, and sewage) isolates are located on one direction,
while most nonhuman isolates are clustered the opposite direction of the X-axis with
little overlap. On the same plot, the 4 types of human isolates can be further separated
into groups based on the second discriminant. The sewage isolates, although mainly
from human feces, are different from the predominant strains found in human fecal
samples. E. coli isolated from urine cannot be separated from fecal isolates. Blood
isolates partially overlap with those from feces and urine but show little overlap with
those from sewage. To further evaluate the ability of using RAPD pattern analysis for
identification of human E. coli, 10 sewage E. coli isolates, which were not included in
our database, were tested against the human and nonhuman E. coli RAPD libraries.
Seven of the 10 were identified as human E. coli. All the results show that human and
nonhuman E. coli can generally be separated based on their composite RAPD patterns.
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A Preliminary Study of the Sources of E. coli Contamination at Marquette Park
Beach by Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA typing
W.T. Evert Ting and Charles C. Tseng, Department of Biological Sciences
Purdue University Calumet, Hammond, IN
Marquette Park Beach is located at south shore of Lake Michigan in Gary, Indiana.
Although the beach is seldom closed due to unacceptable high E. coli counts, Gary city
government is interested in determining whether the beach is contaminated with
sewage, which may be released during a combined sewer outflow (CSO) event after a
heavy rainfall. During the summers of 2001 and 2002, water samples were collected at
Marquette Park Beach on two dry days and two wet days (within 24 h after CSO event),
raw sewage samples were collected from a near-by sewage treatment plant in Gary. A
total of 200 E. coli isolates were obtained from the beach water samples, and 50 were
from sewage samples. DNA profile of each E. coli isolate was generated using the
random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique and analyzed using the
computer software, BioNumbericsTM. A preliminary study of E. coli RAPD profiles
collected from 2 dry and 1 wet days indicated that the E. coli contamination was
originated from multiple sources. On dry days, 20 to 24 % of the beach water E. coli
isolates closely match human E. coli in their DNA profiles. Among those, 2 to 6 %
closely match E. coli from Gary sewage. On the wet day, only <10% closely match
human E. coli’s DNA profiles and none closely match those from Gary sewage. On the
basis of the RAPD profile analysis, there is no evidence showing that the Gary sewage
was the major source of E. coli contamination at Marquette Park Beach on the two dry
days and one wet day we analyzed.
Differentiation of E. coli Isolated from Human and Nonhuman Sources Using
Automated Ribotyping Method
Charles C. Tseng, Debra J. Johnson, and W.T. Evert Ting, Department of Biological
Sciences, Purdue University Calumet, Hammond, IN
High E. coli counts in beach water are major concerns for local governments and
residents in south Lake Michigan Area. To understand and manage the beach water
contamination problem, it is important to differentiate E. coli from human and nonhuman
sources. In this study, an automated RiboPrinter Microbial Characterization System
(DuPont-Qualicon) was used to generate a ribotype database of E. coli isolates from
human sources (human fecal samples and sewage), and nonhuman sources (cows,
horses, pigs, geese, and seagulls) with the restriction enzyme Hind III. More than 500
E. coli ribotyping profiles were analyzed. A comparison of E. coli ribotypes from sewage
and those from humans fecal samples using the Jaccard and maximum similarity
method revealed that the sewage E. coli isolates do not represent the predominant
bacterial strains in human feces. The E. coli ribotypes derived from four different
sewage plants in Northwest Indiana are not source specific. Multivariate analysis of
variance (MANOVA) and discriminant analysis of ribotypes showed that sewage/human
E. coli isolates and animal isolates are arranged in two separate clusters. On the basis
of the most significant character, the sewage/human isolates are distributed on one side
17
and those of animal isolates on the other side of the x-axis in a 2-D plot. Jackknife
analysis indicated that the average rate of correct classification (ARCC) ranges from
70% to over 90% depending upon the position tolerance and the optimization settings.
In this study, we have determined that over 80% ARCC for E coli from human (including
sewage) and from animals can be achieved using 0.8% settings for both position
tolerance and optimization.
Application of Petrifilm for Escherichia coli Monitoring
Janet H. Vail, Annis Water Resources Institute, Muskegon, MI
Originally designed for food analysis for coliform and Escherichia coli, Petrifilm plates
were tested for applications for water sampling. Petrifilm plates from the 3M
Corporation consist of plastic films with grids coated with nutrients and gelling agents.
The gel contains glucuronidase indicator for confirmed detection of E. coli. After 24 hr
incubation of a 1 mL sample at 35 C, a blue precipitate characterizes E. coli colonies
and usually there is gas formation. Petrifilm methods have been collaboratively tested
and are included in the Association of Official Analytical Chemists Official Methods of
Analysis for food analysis. Results of training of groups such as the Sierra Club,
Ruddiman Creek Task Force, White River Watershed Academy, and Volunteer
Muskegon indicate that this is a viable method for volunteer water quality monitoring.
The most useful application of the method is for screening purposes to identify E. coli
problem sites. Volunteers have collected information using Petrifilm that have assisted
public health departments and state environmental agencies.
BEACHCAST: Developing an information model to support beach monitoring in
the Great Lakes region
Kevin Yam and Christine Manninen, Great Lakes Commission, Ann Arbor, MI
Beach closures due to fecal bacteria outbreaks, namely E. coli, because of toxic
contamination by domestic sewage and animal wastes are among the most prevalent
human health concerns currently facing the Great Lakes region. There is widespread
evidence that citizens call for timely and high-quality beach information, while local
health authorities keep up with the demand for more accurate monitoring data and
sampling techniques. In responding to water quality advisories, which may affect the
economic and environmental well-being of the community, citizens all share, to varying
degrees, a common concern: “how will it affect me, my family, and my community?”
In order to streamline the process of data gathering through local monitoring programs
to information dissemination to beach-goers and citizens, the BeachCast model involves
the creation of a centralized data repository of recreational water quality data that will
allow beach managers to submit their daily reports and beach advisories through
electronic means.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and internet-based
technologies provide a powerful tool for identifying, visualizing and examining problem
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areas. Maps that are generated from a GIS translate raw data into meaningful
information that make communication and building community awareness more
effective.
A web-based information portal consisting of geographic attributes enhances both
information management and dissemination in the following ways:
- ‘unbiased’ information (i.e. water quality sampling data) allows citizens and
beach managers to gain both a rapid understanding of complex problems and
explore topics in depth, by browsing and querying centrally held data
- near ‘real-time’ beach data empower and mobilize individuals to minimize
pollution sources and seek solutions to local contamination problems
- the proposed network promotes standardization of collection methods and
cultivates relationships with beach managers and researchers by sharing up-todate studies and discussions
The BeachCast information model will begin serving the metropolitan areas of Chicago
and Milwaukee with close to real-time reporting of lake and beach conditions. The
widespread use of this system will promote public awareness, increase accountability,
and further facilitate local actions in maintaining healthy beaches. We believe this to be
a novel and effective way to comprehend, and participate in, the complex issue of water
contamination and beach closings by citizens, beach managers and local health
authorities.
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
Elizabeth Alm
Elizabeth Alm is an Associate Professor at Central Michigan University. She received
an A.B. from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, a M.S. from Ball State University, and
a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, Urbana. She has been studying microbial
communities in aquatic systems for 10 years. Current research interests include
microbial quality of recreational beaches, the environmental fate of gastrointestinal
pathogens, and environmental reservoirs of antibiotic resistant bacteria.
Heidi Bauman
Heidi Bauman is the State Beach Coordinator for Minnesota. Ms. Bauman is currently
the Lake Superior Beach Coordinator for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency in
Duluth Minnesota. She earned her B.A. in Earth Science and Geography from the
University of Minnesota, Duluth. Ms. Bauman has been with the Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency for 12 years and worked in a number of program areas related to nonpoint source pollution in northern Minnesota. These programs included local water
planning, lake and stream monitoring, individual sewage treatment systems, feedlots,
GIS project lead for basin planning, and NPDES minor wastewater facility permit writing.
Prior to joining the MPCA, Ms Bauman was an environmental and transportation
planner for the Northwest Regional Development Commission in Thief River Falls
Minnesota and a planner for the Natural Resources Division of the Arrowhead Regional
Development Commission in Duluth.
Shannon Briggs
Dr. Shannon Briggs is currently the state beach coordinator for Michigan. Dr. Briggs is a
toxicologist and the Project Coordinator for Beach Monitoring in the Department of
Environmental Quality. For the past two years, she has managed beach monitoring
projects that receive funding from the Clean Michigan Initiative and is the project
administrator for the BEACH Act grant for Michigan. Dr. Briggs is also the contact
person for Michigan's Beach Monitoring Website (http://www.deq.state.mi.us/beach/)
and she helps coordinate the Michigan Environmental Health Association's Annual
Recreational Swimming Waters Conference. Dr. Briggs received a Ph.D. in
Pharmacology and Toxicology and a B.S. in Animal Science from Michigan State
University.
Mary Ellen Bruesch
Earned BS in Biological Sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1993,
and MS in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics from the Medical College of Wisconsin
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in 1997. Employed by the City of Milwaukee
Health Department as an Environmental Hygienist since 1997, responsible for several
drinking and recreational water projects.
Murulee Byappanahalli
Dr. Murulee Byappanahalli is working as Research Microbiologist at the Lake Michigan
Ecological Research Station, United States Geological Survey in Porter, Indiana.
Murulee received his masters (1996) and Ph. D. (2000) degrees in Microbiology from
20
the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Upon completing his Ph. D. degree, Murulee worked
briefly as Research Associate (Environmental Microbiology) at the Water Resources
Research Center, University of Hawaii. He joined Dr. Richard Whitman’s research
program in May 2001. Currently, he is studying the occurrence of fecal indicators (E.
coli, enterococci) in natural habitats such as bathing waters of Lake Michigan, streams
and creeks as well as riparian systems in the watersheds of northwest Indiana. He has
presented his research at scientific meetings and published papers in peer-reviewed
journals. He received numerous awards (scholarships, certificates) during his graduate
programs at the University of Hawaii.
Lane Drager
Lane Drager is the state beach coordinator for Illinois. He graduated from the University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1994 with a Bachelors of Science in Civil and
Environmental Engineering. He worked for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
for 2-1/2 years in the Division of Air Pollution Control. Mr. Drager has worked for the
Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health for four years. He
has worked in the Asbestos and Lead Programs in addition to the Swimming Pool and
Bathing Beach Programs. Mr. Drager is currently assigned as the Beach Administrator
to coordinate the BEACH Act in Illinois.
Donna Francy
Donna Francy is a hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources
Discipline, Ohio District Office. She received a bachelor's degree in Biology from
Indiana University and a Master's degree in Environmental Science from Rice
University, Houston, Texas.
She has 14 years experience in environmental
microbiology and prior to that worked as a clinical microbiologist. For the past ten years
at the U.S. Geological Survey, Ms. Francy has served as project chief on several
projects that involve methods and process affecting microbiological indicators and
pathogens in the environment. These included studies that addressed recreational
water quality in rivers and lakes, virus contamination in drinking-water supplies, or
methods for monitoring protozoan and viral pathogens in streams.
Amie Gifford
Amie Gifford is a hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Columbus, Ohio. For
the past two years Ms. Gifford has worked on microbiological monitoring projects for
recreational water quality in Ohio rivers, streams, and lakes. She received her Master’s
and Bachelor's degrees in Environmental Science and a further Bachelor’s of Science
degree in Plant Biology from the Ohio State University.
Auralene (Toni) Glymph
Toni Glymph is the state beach coordinator for Wisconsin. Ms. Glymph currently works
as an environmental toxicologist in the Water Quality Standards Section of the
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. She is primarily responsible for the
development of water quality criteria for bacteria and the development of a statewide
beach monitoring and public notification program. Prior to this, Ms. Glymph worked in
the Permits Processing and Facility Management Section working with WPDES
[Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System] permit policy and compliance
21
issues and has been with the Department of Natural Resources for 10 years. She
worked for 16 years as a Water Systems Analyst for the City of Detroit Water and
Sewerage Department prior to moving to Wisconsin. Ms. Glymph attended Tennessee
State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree with a double major
in chemistry and biology with an emphasis on microbiology. She also attended two
years of medical school.
Tim Gormley
Tim Gormley is the Senior Vice President of Earth 911 and has been with the
organization since 1996. With 18+ years of experience in the environmental and
technical fields, he provides broad perspective on corporate environmental leadership
and industry program development. Prior to joining Earth 911, he coordinated
environmental and policy programs for the U.S. Postal Service in the western United
States. Mr. Gormley has a B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering and a Masters of
Environmental Management and Policy. Mr. Gormley resides in Phoenix, Arizona with
his wife and three children and he is actively involved in U.S. Amateur Swimming and
other community programs.
Sheridan K. Haack
Sheridan Haack is a Research Hydrologist with the US Geological Survey, and has
worked in this capacity in the Michigan Water Discipline Office for the past 9 years. She
has a PhD in Microbiology from Michigan State University, and an MS degree in
Environmental Engineering Sciences from the University of Florida. She has 19 years
experience in aquatic microbial ecology, including studies in lakes, streams, rivers,
wetlands and ground water. Her primary research interests include the affects of
microorganisms on the chemistry of water, including their transformations of naturallyoccurring inorganic or organic materials, and the role of pollution on microbial
contamination and microbial antibiotic resistance in the environment.
Rick Hoffmann
Mr. Hoffmann is an environmental scientist in EPA's Office of Science and Technology
(OST) within the Office of Water. He is the national team leader for the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency’s BEACH program. Mr. Hoffmann has coordinated
the development and implementation of the program since it was established in 1997
and modified by the BEACH Act. Mr. Hoffmann joined the Office of Science and
Technology in 1991 and worked for six years on risk assessment projects related to
chemical contaminants in fish. Previously, Mr. Hoffmann worked in EPA's San
Francisco Regional Office, during which time he worked as the regional Outer
Continental Shelf of southern California. He also was the region’s Lake Tahoe
Coordinator and served as the liaison between EPA and the Tahoe Regional Planning
Agency (TRPA). Mr. Hoffmann has also worked for the Hawaii State Department of
Health. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Zoology and a Masters of Public Health, with
an emphasis in environmental/ occupational health.
22
Julie Kinzelman
Julie Kinzelman has a BS in Medical Technology from the University of WisconsinKenosha, and an MS in Health Sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
She is currently the section chief for Microbiology with the City of Racine Health
Department, Racine, WI. She has worked as an Adjunct Faculty/Clinical Practicum
Instructor with the Department of Health Sciences, UW-Milwaukee and has trained
several students in this capacity. She has been involved in several watershed and
beach management projects over the past 5 years, including The Root-Pike Watershed
Initiative Network, the Racine Beach Interstial Zone E. coli Study and an EMPACT
study.
JiYoung Lee
JiYoung Lee is an environmental and public health microbiologist at the University of
Michigan. Her major research area includes rapid methods for detecting microbial
contaminants using emerging biotechnologies. The tested contaminants include HPC,
E. coli, E. coli O157:H7, Pseudomonas, and Legionella. Other research includes rapid
detection of spores in powder and air, indicator organisms assessing water quality,
recovery and detection of pathogens in food, and disinfection of microbes with
environmental-friendly methods. She received a BA in Microbiology from Seoul
National University, an MS in Microbiology from Seoul National University and her Ph.D.
in Environmental Health Sciences from the University of Michigan. She is a member of
American Society for Microbiology and American Water Works Association.
Kathy Luther
Kathy Luther is currently the state beach coordinator for Indiana. She has been with the
Indiana Department of Environmental Management for seven years. At IDEM she has
served as the Lake Michigan LaMP Coordinator, worked with the Interagency Task
Force on E. coli, and supported other local and regional watershed planning efforts for
five years. Kathy has Masters degrees in Environmental Science and Public Affairs
from Indiana University with a concentration in water resources management. She also
holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Hope College in Holland, Michigan.
Christine Manninen
Christine Manninen is manager of the Great Lakes Commission's Communications and
Internet Technology Program, which focuses on development of the Great Lakes
Information Network (GLIN) and related web applications, as well as design, publishing
and marketing of all GLC publications, reports and news releases. She has a bachelor's
degree in biological sciences from Michigan Technological University and is working
toward a master's in environmental journalism at Michigan State University.
Greg A. Olyphant
Greg A. Olyphant received his Ph.D from the University of Iowa in 1979. He spent one
year at the University of Maryland before moving to Indiana University where he has
been a faculty member since 1980. Olyphant’s research specialty is environmental
geology with an emphasis on hydrology and numerical and statistical modeling. He is
one of the founding member’s of the Interagency Task Force on E.coli, and has
23
participated in several Task Force studies of the sources and causes of bacterial
outfalls into Lake Michigan. His work on statistical forecasting of beach closures due to
excessively high concentrations of E.coli in the swimming zone of selected Lake
Michigan beaches was recently featured by The Science Coalition.
Laurel K. O’Sullivan
Laurel K. O’Sullivan serves as the Lake Michigan Federation Coordinator of Toxics
Elimination Programs and Counsel. She joined the Federation in 2000 and is in charge
of organization’s work to eliminate toxic pollutants in the Lake Michigan Basin that
threaten the health of fish, wildlife, and people, especially children. As Toxics
Coordinator, Laurel oversees the Federation’s water quality standards, air quality,
contaminated sediment, and nuclear waste efforts. As Counsel, Ms. O’Sullivan leads
the Federation’s legal work. She received her J.D. with honors and a certificate in
Environmental & Energy Law from the Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1996. While at
Chicago-Kent she received the prestigious Lowell Thomas and Bertram Stone
Scholarships. After law school, she served as, among other posts, attorney for
Business and Professional People in the Public Interest in Chicago, and litigated citizen
suits under the Clean Water Act for a firm in Washington D.C. She graduated with
honors from Northwestern University in 1993. Laurel currently resides in Evanston with
her husband Patrick and faithful lab Cu, who swims in the lake more than any other
member of the family.
Sharyl Rabinovici
Sharyl Rabinovici has been a Physical Scientist with the USGS Western Geographic
Science Center for the past three years. Her research focus is the application of
geographic, economic and policy analysis tools to the development of improved
environmental, urban planning and land management policies. Mrs. Rabinovici holds a
Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Chicago where she was a Harris
Fellow, and a B.S. with distinction in Geologic and Environmental Science from Stanford
University. Prior to her work with the USGS, Mrs. Rabinovici spent four years working
for various non-profit organizations related to community development finance and low
income housing in the Chicago area.
Alissa Salmore
Alissa Salmore received her Master of Science at the University of Georgia Institute of
Ecology studying plant-insect chemical ecology. She now applies her ecological
training toward problems in urban water quality at the UW Great Lakes WATER Institute
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Richard W. Svenson
Mr. Svenson is a licensed professional engineer and the Director of the New York State
Department of Health’s Bureau of Community Sanitation and Food Protection, which is
located in the agency’s Center for Environmental Health. He received a B.S.C.E. from
Tufts University and M.P.A. from SUNY at Albany. Mr. Svenson has had an extensive
public health career and has served in Engineering and Administrative positions in New
York State for over 30 years, including Director of Environmental Health for the Albany
County Health Department. One of Mr. Svenson’s current responsibilities is the
24
coordination, development and evaluation of the State’s bathing beach regulatory
programs as conducted by State, county and city health departments. He testified to
two Congressional committees in 1990 regarding the original BEACH act and the need
for multiple variables for successful regulatory programs.
W.T. Evert Ting
Professor Ting received her Ph.D. degree in Microbiology from The Ohio State
University in 1986. She joined Purdue University Calumet faculty the following year. A
specialist in food and water microbiology, she has studied ways to recover and
enumerate sublethally injured pathogens in frozen and dried foods. She has also
studied the inhibitory effects of spices and polyphosphates on a food pathogen, Listeria
monocytogenes. In recent years, she has used the PCR technique to detect viral
contamination in stream water, and studied the survival of E. coli in beach sand.
Currently, her research concentrates on tracing the sources of E. coli with RAPD and
automated ribotyping techniques. Her research has been supported by several grants
and contracts from government agencies, such as National and Illinois-Indian Sea Grant
Collage Programs. She has authored and coauthored over 30 abstracts and journal
articles. At Purdue University Calumet, she teaches introductory and advanced
microbiology courses. In 1997, she received the outstanding teacher award from The
School of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Purdue Calumet.
Charles C. Tseng
Professor Charles C. Tseng received his Ph.D. in Botany from the University of
California, Los Angeles in 1965. His work experience includes a Mercer Fellow at
Harvard University, a Research Fellow at Smithsonian Institution, and professorship at
Windham College. He joined the Purdue University Calumet faculty in 1975. Professor
Tseng's additional training includes mammalian and human genetics at Jackson
Laboratory and Johns Hopkins University; recombinant DNA technology at Indiana
University and the Center for Molecular and Cell Biology, Catholic University; and
protein separation technology at the Argonne National Laboratory. Dr. Tseng’s
research is in the areas of genetics and molecular biology. His major research projects
include a) DNA typing of E. coli to determine the source of bacterial contamination in
water and b) the effects of radio frequency fields on human and bacterial gene
expression. His research is currently supported by several grants and contracts from
government and industry, totaling $2.7 million. He was the Outstanding Researcher of
1996 awarded by the Northwest Indiana Chapter of Sigma Xi. He has authored and coauthored over 70 journal papers and abstracts. He is the founder and director of the
biotechnology program at Purdue Calumet, where he teaches a number of courses in
genetics and molecular biology.
Janet Vail
As an Associate Professor of the Grand Valley State University Water Resources at the
Annis Water Resources Institute, Janet Vail’s interests include volunteer water quality
monitoring and microbial water quality indicators. She received her Ph.D. from Western
Michigan University, a Masters from University of California, and Bachelor of Science
Degree from the University of Michigan. She serves as co-chair of the U.S.
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Environmental Protection Agency Lake Michigan Forum and is a member of the Lake
Michigan Monitoring Coordination Council.
Richard Whitman
Richard Whitman is the Chief of the Lake Michigan Ecological Research Station,
Biological Resources Division, U. S. Geological Survey in Porter, Indiana. Dr. Whitman
received a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University in 1979 in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences.
He went on to teach at Indiana University NW for 10 years as Associate Professor of
Biology. He has extensively researched and published on the ecology of lakes and
streams throughout the Great Lakes area. His most recent research focuses on the
environmental status of ponds within Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, the effects of
beach nourishment of benthic invertebrates and characterization of non-point sources
and background levels of E. coli. Currently, he is studying the sources and occurrence
of bacteria contamination in sands and waters of Chicago, Milwaukee and Indiana
beaches and small coastal streams, and unimpacted springs of southern Lake Michigan
area. He is cooperating with EPA and DOD in the development of rapid detection of
bacteria contamination of recreational waters. He is author of numerous scientific
reports, refereed articles, and invited national and international scientific presentations.
Holly Wirick
Holly Wirick has been with the U.S. EPA since 1991. She holds a BA in Environmental
Studies from Northeastern Illinois University and is pursuing an MAT in Education. Ms.
Wirick formerly worked in EPA’s Office of Strategic Environmental Analysis in the
National Environmental Policy Act program. She currently works in the Water Quality
Branch of U.S. EPA Region 5's Water Division. Ms. Wirick has served as the Regional
BEACH Program Coordinator since the BEACH Program's inception in 1997.
Kevin Yam
Kevin Yam is a program specialist of the Great Lakes Commissions’ Data and
Information Management Program. He works on the Commission’s beach monitoring
and air quality initiatives. Prior in joining the Commission, Mr. Yam worked with
community-based water quality monitoring groups in the Toronto area. Mr. Yam
received his Master of Environmental Studies in Environmental Planning from York
University (Toronto, Ontario).
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