2016 Bacteriological Sampling in Perdido Bay using Coliscan MF without incubation
A fecal coliform count of over 200 bacteria/100 mls of water indicates the water may be unsafe for swimming.
A total coliform count over 2,400 bacteria/100 mls of water indicates swimming may be unsafe. It should be noted that the bacteria plates are grown at room temperature (25 C) and not at human body temperature. The coliforms are therefore "wild" and not necessarily from human wastes.
Papermills and sugar producers discharge large amounts of organic matter which are degraded by bacteria. Many of these bacteria are in the coliform family. A pathogenic bacteria, Klebsiella pneumoniae, is a coliform and associated with wastes of high organic content. These wastes reduce the dissolved oxygen in water because the bacteria use up the oxygen.
Salinity of 0 PPT would be fresh water; sea water would have a salinity of approximately 36 PPT.
| Perdido Bay above Lillian Bridge- Millview, FL; 30 24 50N/87 22 23W | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DATE - 2015 | Fecal Coliform - #/100 mls water | Total Coliform - #/100 mls water | Water Temperature - °F | Salinity - PPT | Observations |
| May 24, 2016 | >200,000 | Too Numerous to Count | 82 | 5 | water extremely turbid |
| May 29, 2016 | 1,000 | 5,400 | 83 | 4 | water is fairly clear. Can see solids settling on bottom |
| June 18, 2016 | 4,400 | 5,100 | 90 | 4 | water is fairly clear. Can see solids settling on bottom |
| July 19, 2016 | NA | NA | 92 | 6 | water is very scummy |
| August 3, 2016 | 4,900 | 8,300 | 88 | 4 | water is scummy. Have had lots of rain |
| August 17, 2016 | 3,200 | 3,200 | 85 | 0 | Bay very dark and fresh. Lots of rain |
| September 19, 2016 | 6,100 | 7,900 | 88 | 14 | Water very turbid. Bloom of plankton |
| September 28, 2016 | 7,900 | 10,900 | 85 | 7 | Water not too bad |
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