Concentrations of Enterococci in Relation to Rainfall in Sutherland Shire Catchments

TL;DRAbstract

The protection of coastal water users from health problems due to pollution is a key responsibility of local and state governments in Australia. There is a continuing interest in finding better indicators and predictors of water pollution. The study of faecal contamination in Sutherland Shire recreational waterways was undertaken to examine the relationship between enterococci densities in coastal waters (as an indication of pollution) and catchment rainfall. Sutherland Shire Council would like to use such a relationship to predict the occurrence of elevated faecal contamination in recreational waters, and thus reduce human exposure to the potential health effects associated with contaminated water. Eight sites were selected for study based on water contamination history and popularity for recreational use. Extensive water quality and rainfall data from local and state government records was synthesised and subjected to multiple regression analyses. The results of the analyses indicate

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