Such expanded coverage helps states make beach and shellfish-closing decisions on a more localized basis. Fecal coliform contamination frequently can occur in conjunction with other pollutants. Runoff from a livestock area washing into an estuary, for instance, may contain not only fecal coliform, but high levels of nitrogen-rich compounds as well. By including bacterial counts as one of a suite of monitoring parameters, a program manager can design a program designed to fully characterize the chosen sites. This sort of data collection may reveal problem areas which were not previously recognized.
Volunteers can also perform fecal coliform monitoring with an eye towards regulatory compliance.
The program may wish to set up sites near known or suspected violators of effluent regulations to document noncompliance. Monitoring sites can be set up adjacent to the discharge, but the effluent itself can also be sampled. Program managers should be aware of the legal issues affecting this type of sampling, such as trespass laws and the violation of privacy and property rights. Volunteers should take particular care in collecting discharge samples as the effluent may contain highly pathogenic organisms. Each volunteer should avoid splashing water, wash hands thoroughly after water contact, and minimize the breathing of water vapor.