Sample fecal-indicator bacteria, Clostridium perfringens , viruses, predictor variables, and chemical sewage tracers at 4 Chattahoochee River sites and 8 tributary sites during critical seasons and hydrologic conditions. The five-day cycle will ensure mid week and weekend flow conditions are sampled. It must be analyzed under anaerobic conditions in a laboratory and is best attempted by a biologist or highly trained technician. This study proposes to measure C. perfringens at 4 main stem and 8 tributary sites as part of synoptic surveys during critical seasons and hydrologic conditions. Because monitoring of enteric viruses is recognized as being difficult,time consuming, and expensive, some researchers advocate the use of coliphage for routine viral monitoring.
Coliphages are bacteriophages that infect and replicate in coliform bacteria.
Coliphage is also recognized to be representative of the survival transport of viruses in the environment. However, to date, they have not been found to correlate with the presence of pathogenic viruses. This study proposes to measure enteric viruses at 4 main stem and 8 tributary sites as part of synoptic surveys during critical seasons and hydrologic conditions. Water Research, v. 23, no. 2, p. 191-197. Historical data are primarily limited to fecal coliform levels measured once per month during flow conditions that aretypical during mid-week daytime hours.