Over 200 Bacteria Tests Conducted This Summer, Helping to Keep Locals and Visitors Informed and Safe
By Emma Abbott
In 2006, the Water Environment Federation (WEF) adopted World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD). This international outreach program aims to promote public awareness and involvement in protecting the world’s water resources. Maine is particularly interested in water monitoring since the state has over 6,000 lakes and ponds and just under 3,500 miles of coastline (UMaine, 2023). This year to honor WWMD, the Shaw Institute is highlighting the amazing water quality monitoring conducted by our summer interns to safeguard the outdoors. But why is water monitoring important and necessary?
Have you ever been swimming, accidentally swallowed some saltwater and maybe didn’t feel so great the next day? Studying water quality helps communities better understand what factors may be negatively affecting the environment. In Maine, there’s a partnership between the Department of Environmental Protection and local municipalities known as Maine’s Healthy Beaches (MHB). However, MHB typically focuses on the larger beaches. This is why the Shaw Institute prioritizes water quality monitoring for local beaches on the Blue Hill Peninsula. The institute maintains the program as part of its commitment to community service.
If you visited any of our local beaches this summer, you might have seen a group of individuals wading into the water. Perhaps you even wondered what they were doing. For the past two decades, Shaw Institute interns have tested and recorded levels of fecal bacteria throughout the Blue Hill Peninsula. This is to help inform people about the bacteria levels for that week. This summer, our interns successfully conducted tests twice a week during low and high tides. With the data we collect, Shaw is able to let people know if it’s safe to swim. We are also able to study the effects of climate change on bacteria over the past 20 years.
“This is quite an undertaking each summer, especially when you consider that they interns and staff did over 200 individual tests,” said Dr. Charlie Rolsky, Executive Director of the Shaw Institute. “It’s important work that we are proud to be doing as a means to keep our local communities and visitors safe and informed.”
Our current method provides results 24 hours after the sample is taken. Therefore, there is an entire day lag between the current water quality and public knowledge. Thanks to a generous donation from Clearview Energy located in Dallas, TX we’ll be able to acquire the Tecta B16 by IDEXX. With the Tecta B16, we can inform the public of fecal bacteria levels the same day samples are taken. The new method will be implemented in the summer of 2025. If you want to stay up to date on bacteria levels, be sure to sign up for our bacteria updates.
Testing for fecal bacteria isn’t the only water monitoring research we do though! The Shaw Institute works with the Department of Marine Resources (DMR) to help identify harmful algal blooms. Certain algal blooms can have a negative effect on shellfish which has contributed to the decline in recreational harvesting. Recently, we’ve also partnered with Cyclopure to test for PFAS chemicals in drinking water. These PFAS kits can be purchased at the Shaw Institute’s main building, 55 Main Street during business hours if you are interested!
You can learn more about World Water Monitoring Day by visiting their website at https://www.monitorwater.org/. You can also find out more about the water monitoring research Shaw does by visiting our website … and by watching this fun video below!
