The Florida Department of Environmental Protection's
Northeast District partners with the Duval County Health Department and
City of Jacksonville's Regulatory and Environmental Services Department
to provide quarterly water quality reports on tributaries of the St.
Johns River in Duval County. Each agency is responsible for different aspects of
environmental and public health protection.
Florida Department of
Environmental
Protection
Responsible for protecting the
quality of Florida’s water
resources through state water quality standards and monitoring.
The agency conducts permitting and compliance and
enforcement programs for Florida’s domestic and
industrial wastewater facilities, and its drinking
water systems.
Duval County Health Department
Environmental
Health services are administered by the Duval County
Health Department and aim to prevent or reduce
potential health risks in daily surroundings.
Environmental
Resource Management
The
City of Jacksonville's RESD collects surface water quality data in Duval
County. RESD closely coordinates all of its
monitoring activities with other agencies and
regularly provides data to state, regional and local
agencies charged with permitting activities that may
impact surface water quality.
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Other monitoring programs provide information on water
quality in the region.
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What are fecal coliform bacteria?
Fecal coliform bacteria are microorganisms associated with the
intestinal tract of warm-blooded animals. While generally not dangerous,
these bacteria are used for routine water quality monitoring since they
indicate the presence of pollution that may contain illness-producing
bacteria and viruses.
How long has this pollution been a problem?
Bacteria pollution was first documented in the St. Johns River in the
1950s. By eliminating direct sewage discharges and hundreds of small,
inefficient sewage package plants, the City dramatically lowered
bacteria levels in the river’s main stem. Because of the unique nature
of the river and Jacksonville’s high population density, many other
sources of bacteria remain.
What agency is responsible for solving this problem?
State and local government agencies are working together to protect
public health and the environment. Each agency is responsible for
different aspects of environmental and public health:
- DCHD aims to prevent or reduce potential health risks in daily
surroundings. The health department is responsible for permitting
septic tanks and posting health advisories in public bathing areas.
Since there are no certified public bathing areas in the St. Johns
River, it is not currently sampled for bacteria for human health
purposes.
- The City of Jacksonville monitors water quality in Duval County
and provides data to state, regional and local agencies charged with
permitting activities that may impact surface water quality.
Why has it taken so long to correct?
With limited funding, determining sources of bacteria pollution,
correcting problems and monitoring results can be difficult, expensive
and time-consuming An interagency task force, however, is working to
address chronic bacteria problems.
Where does bacteria pollution come from?
Sources of bacteria include bypassed and failing septic tanks,
stormwater runoff, sanitary sewer overflows, leaking sewer pipes,
failing wastewater treatment plants, livestock operations, domestic
pets, and wild animals.
Will such a complex problem ever be completely solved?
Problems in streams with single or obvious sources of pollution may
be solved quickly. However, streams with multiple or undefined sources
may be much more difficult to address.
How much will fixing the problem cost?
Pilot studies are being conducted to determine the costs and
effectiveness of replacing septic systems in failing septic tank areas.
Additionally, JEA expects to spend $376 million over the next five years
to repair failing sewer lines. The costs to repair other sources have
yet to be determined.
Is bacteria a problem in the St. Johns River?
While bacteria levels in many tributaries remain high, levels of
fecal coliform in the river’s main stem are usually well below the State
Water Quality Standard. However, rain events can wash bacteria from the
tributaries into the main stem and sewage spills and illegal discharges
can create potentially unhealthy conditions.
What can I do to help?
Learn about the creeks and streams in your watershed. Join a
volunteer monitoring program. Inform elected officials and government
agencies about pollution problems and concerns in your area.
To report spills or other emergency pollution events contact:
-
Florida State Warning Point: 800-320-0519 (24 Hours)
-
City of Jacksonville: 630-3635
-
Florida Department of Environmental Protection: 807-3300
-
U.S. Coast Guard: 232-2648
-
St. Johns Riverkeeper: 745-7591
-
Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (Fish Kills):
352-732-1225
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Keywords
Water quality
in any river, stream or lake is an indication of whether or not it
supports the type of biological life that it should . Any imbalance in
the natural system of a water body can have harmful affects on the
associated plants and animals. For this reason, researchers regularly
monitor state waters to ensure water quality standards are being met.
Coliform Count - Following membrane filtration of a water
sample containing fecal coliform bacteria, the membrane is placed upon
suitable microbiological growth media and incubated at 44.5 degrees
Celsius.
24 hours.
The number reported represents
the number of colony forming units per 100 milliliters (ml)
of water. Exceeding 800#/100 ml for any single sample
indicates that the waterbody sampled does not meet
recreational water quality standards and contact should be
avoided. The Environmental Protection Agency's 1976
publication Quality Criteria for Water recommends that
contact should be avoided in waterbodies exceeding an annual
mean (average) of 200#/100 mls.
Dissolved
Oxygen - Dissolved
oxygen is an essential indicator in assessing a waterbody's
health. Oxygen enters the water from the atmosphere and
through aquatic plant and phytoplankton photosynthesis. The
oxygen is then available for aquatic organisms to utilize in
basic metabolic processes. Most plants and animals can grow
and do well when the dissolved oxygen level exceeds 5 mg/l.
A drop in the level to 3-5 mg/l causes organisms to become
stressed. Levels below 3 mg/l causes death in many species.
Oxygen is used up during the decomposition of organic
material. An overload of nutrients from human activities
cause overgrowth of phytoplankton. The phytoplankton
ultimately die and fall to the bottom where they decompose,
using up oxygen.
Fecal
Coliform - Fecal
coliform bacteria live within the intestines of warm blooded
animals. The presence of these bacteria may indicate sewage
contamination and the presence of pathogens
which can cause illness in humans. Gastrointestinal
complaints, skin infections and eye infections are the most
common ailments. Contaminated water
can cause illness either by direct contact, which threatens
recreational water users, or by ingestion of contaminated
shellfish. Leaking septic tanks, stormwater runoff and
sewage overflows can be sources of fecal and other coliform
in urban areas. Other sources can be domestic and wild
animals and livestock in agricultural areas.
Quarter Coliform Mean - This
number represents the mean (average) of the fecal coliform
sample results taken over the last four quarters.
Salinity - Salinity is a
measurement of the salt content in water and is usually
expressed in Parts Per Thousand (PPT). Seawater has about 35
parts of salt per 1000 parts of water. Drinking water is
less than 0.5 PPT. Salinity levels control the types of
plants and animals that live in the different zones of the
waterbody.
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