Bacteria Turned Up at 69% of Tested Lakes and Rivers, Report Says

Bacteria levels reached potentially unsafe readings on at least one day at 69% of more than 4,500 river and lake testing locations across 17 states, according to a report released by Environment America. E. coli appeared in every state included in the analysis.

John Rumpler, clean water director and senior attorney at the group, said about half of the 4,000-plus monitoring sites recorded elevated E. coli levels on 25% or more of the days they were tested. E. coli serves as an indicator of fecal matter in water.

Rumpler identified sewage overflows, stormwater runoff and leaking septic tanks as the sources of the contamination. He said the issue affects people planning trips as well as the environment. "I can only imagine that if a family drove two or three hours to go to lakeside cabin, and they were planning to spend the entire week at the lake, and then suddenly there was E. coli in the water," Rumpler said. "I don't know that I could put that to dollars and cents, but I think we might agree that's a ruined vacation right there."

The group's online dashboard publishes results state by state. Rumpler said federal and state governments could contribute more money to the work, and that added federal support would shift costs away from local ratepayers. He also said local and state officials should not treat a lack of federal money as a reason to delay action.

Contamination levels can shift from day to day. The report advises checking state or county health advisories and the EPA's water quality portal before entering the water. It also recommends staying out of rivers and lakes for 48 to 72 hours after heavy rain, when sewage overflows and runoff tend to peak. Water that looks discolored, smells, foams or sits near a discharge pipe should be avoided.

The report, titled "Safe for Swimming," was released by Environment America.