Etowah River E. Coli Level Well Below 'Safe' for Recreation

The Coosa River Basin Initiative collects water quality data on the Etowah River in order to inform river user’s about the health of the river. 

Weekly water samples are taken at three locations and will be through September: 

• U.S. Highway 411 near Kingston 
• Rome Bypass at Grizzard Park 
• 2nd Avenue in Rome 

Each sample is tested for e. coli bacteria and a composite bacteria level is derived from these samples. The geometric mean for the three testing sites was 40.2 cfu/100ml. 

This is below the 126 cfu/100ml level that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers safe for recreational waters. Levels about 126 cfu/100ml would be considered unsafe for swimming and other water contact activities.

The results for our three testing sites were:  

• U.S. 411 Near Kingston: 32.9 cfu/100ml
• Rome Bypass at Grizzard Park: 54.8 cfu/100ml
• 2nd Avenue in Rome: 36.1 cfu/100ml

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