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Evidence for the Accumulation and Steady-State Persistence of E. coli in Subtropical Drainage Basin Sediments

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Abstract

While the presence of fecal indicator bacteria such as Escherichia coli in urban stormwater has been widely documented, their occurrence and persistence in sediments are not as well understood. Recent investigations suggest that E. coli can accumulate in drainage basin sediments and act as a fecal bacterial reservoir within a watershed. We investigate the prevalence of E. coli populations in a tidal creek stormwater catchment and examine their interaction with overlying stormwater under wet and dry weather conditions. Two rain events are sampled more intensively with samples collected prior to, during, and after rainfall to profile bacteria in each matrix throughout a storm. Results of profile sampling and estimates of sediment resuspension provide evidence for E. coli accumulation during dry conditions and entrainment in overlying waters during storm conditions. Profile results suggest the occurrence of steady-state E. coli populations in drainage basin sediments.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by a US Army Corp of Engineers, Planning Assistance to the States grant (W912HN-10-2-0001), the M.K. Pentecost Ecology Fund, and the Coastal Carolina University Research Council. We would like to thank the City of Myrtle Beach Engineering and Stormwater departments for valuable information and maps regarding stormwater drainage, as well as providing access to weather station data. For guidance and assistance in sample collection and analysis, we thank the staff of the Coastal Carolina University Environmental Quality Lab.

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  1. Department of Marine and Wetland Studies, Coastal Carolina University, P.O. Box 261954, Conway, SC, 29528-6054, USA

    Kyle Curtis

  2. Burroughs & Chapin Center for Marine and Wetland Studies, Coastal Carolina University, P.O. Box 261954, Conway, SC, 29528-6054, USA

    J. Michael Trapp

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Correspondence to J. Michael Trapp.

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Curtis, K., Trapp, J.M. Evidence for the Accumulation and Steady-State Persistence of E. coli in Subtropical Drainage Basin Sediments. Water Air Soil Pollut 225, 2179 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-014-2179-3

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