Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #114550

Joseph Kuntz, BS, RS and Robert Murray, MS. Laboratory, City of Stamford Health Department, 888 Washington Blvd, 8 th floor, Stamford, CT 06901, 2039775843, jkuntz@ci.stamford.ct.us

Using compiled bacterial analyses to predict water quality when certain conditions are observed, provides a way to establish a public health policy that is proactive. Conditions were reviewed using a geometric mean specifying different parameters which included the amount of rain in previous days, wind direction and speed, tides and high tide height, water temperature, drought or flood conditions for the season, different materials coming into the swimming areas and the location and amount of any sewage spills. Only three events showed statistical significance (Chi-Squared P < 0.0001): rain events of 1.00 inch or more in a 24 hour period under normal weather conditions, rain events in a 24 hour period under drought conditions over 0.5 inches, and when "floatable" material from distant sewage spills (i.e. grease balls) are present at a beach. This evaluation enables a public health policy to be developed that restricts swimming when certain conditions are present without waiting for bacteriological examinations to prove that a problem exists.

Learning Objectives:

• Time, money, manpower and willpower are required to establish new policies. Predictive closure for bathing waters based on data were begun in 1990 and continual evaluation of the info has lead to National policy

Keywords: Environmental Health,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation