By LRWP Monitoring Outreach Coordinator Jocelyn Palomino

Every Thursday from May to October, the Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership and Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County run a volunteer-based monitoring program along the Raritan River. During the summer, we collect water quality samples at six non-bathing public access beach sites, provide our samples to the Interstate Environmental Commission for analysis in their laboratory and report the results to the public on Friday afternoons. Our mission is to share this data with the community and partners to ensure the safe use of the Raritan river for all.

After multiple days of precipitation and thunderstorms, our lab results for water quality samples taken on Thursday July 18, 2024 show Enterococcus bacteria levels exceeding the EPA federal water quality standard of 104 cfu/100mL at FIVE of our monitoring sites this week. Problem sites are indicated by red frowns on the map and chart which includes: Riverside Park (Piscataway), Rutgers Boathouse (New Brunswick), Edison Boat Basin and Ken Buchanan Waterfront Park (Edison), and 2nd Street Park (Perth Amboy). Green smiles on the chart and map indicate the sites with bacteria levels safe for recreation, and include the following: South Amboy Waterfront Park (South Amboy).

Pathogens/Enterococci levels are used as indicators of the possible presence of disease-causing bacteria in recreational waters. Such pathogens may pose health risks to people coming in primary contact with the water (touching) through recreational activities like fishing, kayaking or swimming in a water body. 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.

Our goal in reporting these results is to give residents a better understanding of the potential health risks related to primary contact during water-based recreation. If you are planning on recreating on the Raritan this weekend, stay safe by properly washing up after any activities!

Cloudy skies and light rain over the Rutgers boat docks during our monitoring session this week, Photo Credit: Jocelyn Palomino

Sanil Nambiar collected our samples for the week with our new and improved sampling stick that we use to retrieve our bottles, Photo Credit: Jocelyn Palomino

Canadian geese were present at all of our monitoring sites Thursday morning, which was noted in our visual habitat assessment as it may have contributed to some of the fecal matter in our samples, Photo Credit: Jocelyn Palomino

With such heavy precipitation on Wednesday night, the stormwater runoff left trails on the sand of its path leading right into the water at LR5 and LR6, Photo Credit: Jocelyn Palomino

Nibav helping Thulasi gear up before wading into our last site of the day, Perth Amboy’s 2nd. Street Park! Photo Credit: Jocelyn Palomino