The Southeastern Vermont Watershed Alliance's (SeVWA's) water quality monitoring program has begun another summer of sampling 26 river and stream sites along the West, Williams, and Saxtons rivers, as well as North Branch Brook, Rock River, and the Whetstone Brook.
The first week of monitoring, on June 18, found many of the swimming holes they tested had E. coli results well above the Vermont and EPA standard for swimming suitability of 235 E. coli per 100 milliliters of water.
Those levels are blamed on heavy rain and thunderstorms that swept through the region earlier in the day and drove in run-off from roads, agricultural activites, and septic systems.
SeVWA says that swimming in water with an E. coli level greater than 235 per 100 milliliters puts one at a greater risk of developing a waterborne illness. They recommend swimmers wait 24 to 48 hours after a heavy rainstorm before entering affected waters.
The E. coli in the water may not cause illness immediately after swimming, though its presence suggests warm-blooded-animal fecal contamination.
On the West River, the swimming hole below the Dummerston Covered Bridge had a reading of 457, while a sample from South Londonderry above the Route 100 bridge saw 580.
On the low end, Milk House Meadows in Brattleboro had 48; the swimming hole at the Brattleboro Professional Center had 80; Brookline Bridge swimming hole checked in at 59.
Indian Love Call, on the Rock River in Newfane, registered 84, while Pikes Falls in Jamaica saw 276. The Whetstone Brook behind the former site of the Brattleboro Food Co-op read 234, and 548 near the Brattleboro Area Farmers' Market on Western Avenue.
No site on the Williams or Saxtons rivers fell under the limit.
All four sites on the Saxtons River also exceeded the 235 standard: Westminster (462), and Saxtons River above and below the wastewater treatment plant (867 and 366, respectively), as well as at Stickney Field (366).
On the Williams River, samples ranged from 867 at the Bartonsville Bridge swimming hole to 1,987 below the Chester wastewater treatment plant.
To review the latest test data directly, visit sites.google.com/site/vtsevwa. Meanwhile, SeVWA says its next sampling dates are July 16 and 30, Aug. 13 and 27, and Sept. 10, all Wednesdays.