THE DETECTION AND DISINFECTION OF PATHOGENS IN STORM-GENERATED FLOWS

A recreational water's disease-producing potential is usually assessed by bacterial indicators of human fecal contamination, however many of these indicator bacteria also originate from soils, vegetation, and a nimal feces. Stormwater runoff can contain high densities of the nonhu man indicator bacteria and epidemiological studies of recreational wat ers receiving stormwater runoff have found little correlation between indicator densities and swimming related illnesses. In addition a numb er of non-enteric pathogens found in stormwater runoff have been linke d to respiratory illnesses and skin infections, a risk which is not as sessed by the present fecal indicators. Therefore, for receiving water s with predominantly stormwater discharges, the current bacterial indi cators are not suited to accurately assess the water's total illness p roducing capacity. The intermittent and irregular nature of stormwater discharges causes unique disinfection requirements which are discusse d in connection with present practices and developments. The need for epidemiological studies to assess the risk from nonhuman and non-enter ic pathogens is recommended.