07/25/2026
Our Water Quality Intern, Anya, coordinates our Microbial Source Tracking program.
What is Microbial Source Tracking? It is a way to determine the origin of f***l contamination in bodies of water. Since Gills Creek exceeds federal standards of f***l coliform contamination, we thought it might make sense to try to find out where (or from who) that contamination is coming from before trying to suggest a solution to the problem.
Our samples, taken from all of the tributaries in our watershed, are sent to a lab that runs DNA/RNA sequencing to search for host-specific genetic markers.
We are 6 months into the 12-month investigation phase of this project. We will consolidate our findings and make them public once we finish gathering the data!
We are grateful for the generous grant from the Enpro Foundation that is making this important public health project possible!
