Improving public health recreational beach water quality monitoring programs through academic partnership

The City of Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) conducts water quality monitoring at several local public beaches on a seasonal basis (June-August) for purposes of assessing health risk to patron contact with potentially contaminated surface water. This information is important and used by the MHD in decision making specifically related to the necessity of posting daily public water quality advisories at each site. These advisories alert patrons of elevated bacteria levels in the water posing a potential health risk. During 2012, the MHD developed a partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Zilber School of Public Health to more comprehensively assess water quality at each City public beach including monitoring of Escherichia coli levels, impact of seagull and algal presence, significance of rainfall on water quality and determination of triclocarban concentrations. In addition, sub-daily E. coli samples were obtained to better understand variance in public exposure as a function of time of day. The data collected as a result of this partnership suggest that non-point pollution sources from stormwater run-off and sewer cross connections may contribute to adverse environmental beach water quality conditions. In addition, documented fluctuation of E. coli during a single day indicate a potential wide variance In water quality conditions at a beach having implications for both sample collection and current public health risk assessment processes. The data collected validates the need for local public health agencies to conduct routine sanitary surveys of designated public beaches for purposes of identifying unique characteristics and influences impacting water quality. In addition, the partnership informs both future research as well as refinement of practitioner strategic outcomes and operational field protocols. Leveraging academic partnerships to enhance public health agency capacity and capability is an important tool that can advance understanding of public health risk within these settings.