Reducing Fecal Coliform in the Natalbany River to meet Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)

摘要

The Natalbany River and its two main tributaries (in Southeast Louisiana) was plagued by decades of wastewater pollution, exacerbated by rapid urban development in recent years. This impaired the streams for swimming and other recreational uses. A decade of effort to clean the waterways, headed by the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation (LPBF), led to the removal of four fecal coliform impairments through systematic water quality sampling and on-the-ground programs to address numerous home and commercial wastewater sources. Fecal coliform decreases of an order of magnitude led to the streams now being suitable for boating, swimming, and other contact activities. The methodology developed is now being used on other Louisiana watersheds.