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 beach sites along the Raritan River, provide our samples to the Interstate Environmental Commission for analysis in their laboratory, and report the results to the public on Friday afternoons. Our goal in reporting these results is to give area residents an understanding of potential health risks related to primary contact (touching) the water during water based recreation.

After receiving about 0.25 inches of rain on Wednesday, lab results for water quality samples taken on Thursday, September 22, 2022 show Enterococcus bacteria levels that exceed the EPA federal water quality standard of 104 cfu/100mL at our three most upstream sites. Problem sites are indicated by red frowns on the map and chart and include Riverside Park (Piscataway), Rutgers Boathouse (New Brunswick), and the Edison Boat Ramp (Edison). The green smiles represent sites with Enterococcus bacteria levels below the federal standard for recreation and include Ken Buchanan (Sayreville), South Amboy Waterfront Park (South Amboy), and 2nd Street Park (Perth Amboy).

Pathogens/Enterococci levels are used as indicators of the possible presence of disease-causing bacteria in recreational waters. Possible 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. If you choose to recreate on the Raritan this weekend, please do so safely and be sure to wash thoroughly after all activities!

Many thanks to the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County and Interstate Environmental Commission for their partnership, and to our team of volunteers who came out this week! See here for more information on our pathogens monitoring program.

Frank Dahl came out to volunteer with the monitoring team again this week, as pictured here completing a field observation sheet with the overcast sky behind him at our Piscataway site, Photo Credit: Jocelyn Palomino

Another dedicated volunteer of the program, Andrew Gehman, captured here collecting samples from the Rutgers Boat Dock, Photo Credits: Jocelyn Palomino

This week, we observed dozens of fish kill at our Edison and Sayreville sites likely from the low levels of dissolved oxygen we recorded, Photo Credits: Andrew Gehman

Frank was eager to wade into the water at our South Amboy site this week, he wanted to take samples from the River before the end of the season, Photo Credits: Jocelyn Palomino