9 months ago
The Altamaha Riverkeeper is warning those planning to spend time on the Oconee River in Dublin that they may be putting their health at risk.
James Holland of the Altamaha Riverkeeper says that they periodically conduct water quality testing and have found unusually high counts of fecal and non-fecal coliforms bacteria this month. Holland says he expects a more detailed report this week, but recommends that anyone with holiday plans on the Oconee River this Memorial Day weekend be aware that getting the contaminated water in open cuts or in their mouth could pose a health risk.
In a news release, Holland says the group has been conducting water tests on the Oconee since last summer, when people reported decreasing numbers of fish, fish with bleeding lesions, and foul odors from the river.
He said Laurens County resident Kim Tyler has been collecting monthly river samples, and Brian Rood, Mercer University professor of chemistry, earth and environmental Science has been analyzing the samples.
"It's a family oriented river. A lot of families have grown up here. I've grown up on this river," Kim Tyler says. Tyler, a member of the Altamaha River Group, says that seeing the steady decline of a river she grew to love breaks her heart. She says she and her husband raised their daughters on the Oconee River, but now that the water could be a health risk she does not trust it anymore.
"They will see some children out on the sandbar playing and having a good time, and they want to stop. But I won't let them in the water," Tyler says.
According to his news release, Rood says, "The samplings indicate very high concentrations of fecal and non-fecal coliform bacteria. Although we don't know the identity of the specific species of bacteria, we can certainly say there is a distinct risk that there are dangerous microorganisms among them." Rood says the amount of bacteria in the water is about thirty times more than usual for the area.
According to Rood and Holland, Coliform bacteria can live in soil, vegetation, and in the intestines of animals and humans. Because they are commonly present in sewage or surface waters, the presence of coliform bacteria in the river water could mean other diseases are in the water as well.Tyler says the Altamaha Riverkeeper Group has not yet figured out where the bacteria is coming from, but she guesses it may be from an industrial source that is not properly treating its waste water. She says the possibility of a company not following its guidelines makes her feel a little betrayed.
"I assumed it was safe to fish and swim in, and later I learned that I have to watch out for myself, for my family, and for my friends," Tyler says.
