By LRWP Monitoring Outreach Coordinator Jocelyn Palomino

The Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership and Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County run a volunteer pathogens monitoring program from May to September every Summer. On Thursdays we collect water quality samples at 6 non-bathing public access beaches along the Raritan River, and report the results on Friday afternoons.

Our current drought conditions mean it’s another full set of green smiley faces for our Raritan River for July 21, 2022! Pathogens results run by the Interstate Environmental Commission (IEC) lab suggest Enterococcus bacteria levels below the federal water quality standard for recreation at ALL of our sites (indicated by lots of “green smiley faces” on the map below). These sites include Riverside Park (Piscataway), Rutgers Boathouse (New Brunswick), Edison Boat Ramp, Ken Buchanan Waterfront Park (Edison), South Amboy Waterfront Park, and 2nd Street Park (Perth Amboy).

Suitable levels for primary contact should not exceed 104 cfu/100mL. Per the EPA’s federal water quality standard for CFU primary contact, Pathogens/Enterococci levels are used as indicators of the possible presence of disease-causing bacteria in recreational waters. Sources of bacteria include Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs), improperly functioning wastewater treatment plants, stormwater runoff, leaking septic systems, animal carcasses, and runoff from manure storage areas. Such pathogens may pose health risks to people fishing and swimming in a water body.

As always, many thanks to the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County and Interstate Environmental Commission for their partnership, and to our amazing volunteers this week! See here for more information on our pathogens monitoring program.