By Andy Ostmeyer

aostmeyer@joplinglobe.com

Thirteen of 33 sites recently tested in Southwest Missouri - including Spring River, Shoal Creek and Little Sugar Creek - have bacteria levels so high they are unsafe for human contact. In fact, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources will propose adding part of Spring River to the state's list of impaired waters because of high bacteria levels found there.

Renee Bungart, with the DNR's Division of Environmental Quality, cited tests done by the state regulatory agency "as well as the Carthage High School" stream team as the reason for adding Spring River to the list.

A majority of water quality samples collected on Spring River around Carthage in the last few years - whether done by state regulators or the volunteer stream team - have consistently found elevated levels of E. coli or another bacteria, enterococci, both of which can cause health problems for people who are exposed.

"By the criteria of the Environmental Protection Agency, this river should be put on a 303(d) list," said Frank Martinez, a stream team volunteer in Carthage. He was referring to a section of the federal Clean Water Act that requires each state to identify its bodies of water that are degraded, identify the source of the contamination and establish pollution controls.

The stream team's latest tests on Spring River, done Oct. 31 at five sites around Carthage, showed elevated levels of either E. coli, enterococci or both. Tests done on Oct. 18 at the request of The Globe on two sites downstream on Spring River - near Purcell and Waco - showed E. coli at levels considered unsafe. Tests done this summer on Spring River by the Lawrence County Health Department also detected elevated levels of E. coli. Those tests were conducted along a farm road near the western edge of the county.

Bungart said only the area of Spring River near Carthage and two miles downstream are currently being proposed for the state's list of impaired rivers.

"That's the only data we have," she explained.

The state began testing in the Carthage area in the spring of 2005, after the stream team identified high levels of bacteria and held public forums to educate the community about its findings. The stream team has been testing the sites for three years, said Martinez. The state initially began testing at several sites around Carthage, but has since scaled it back to an unnamed spring tributary near the Butterball Turkey Co. plant, where the stream team continues to find some of its highest levels of bacteria.

State testing resulted in the replacement of a city sewer line in that area earlier this year, according to DNR officials, who said runoff from agricultural and/or human activity may still be contributing to overall elevated levels of E. coli.

Newton County

In Newton County meanwhile, water quality analysis also indicates many streams and rivers there remain unsafe. Of 200 samples collected at 13 different sites around the county from April through October, 134, or 67 percent, had elevated levels of E. coli.

Five of 11 sites last tested either Oct. 3 or Oct. 18 by Newton County officials had elevated levels of E. coli.

Parts of Capps Creek, Clear Creek, Indian Creek, Lost Creek and Shoal Creek remained elevated throughout the year, regardless of rainfall or other changing stream conditions.

"I knew we would find some high levels," said Bob Kulp, administrator of the Newton County Health Department, referring to the E. coli. "I didn't know it was going to be countywide and be most of the year."

Newton County began doing preliminary testing last year, and found nearly two-thirds of its sites were unsafe for human contact because of high E. coli levels.

It was the consistent high numbers that prompted the Newton County Health Department's Board of Trustees to propose raising a countywide levy in order to generate additional money for water-quality monitoring. That proposal is on Tuesday's ballot.

"Eventually we are going to have to start posting some kind of advisories," said Kulp. "If we are testing the water and the public is at risk, we want to get the word out."

He said it also is important to go beyond that, and to try to identify the source of the bacteria - whether from animal or human waste - and get it stopped, but DNA analysis of the bacteria requires building a database and collecting hundreds or thousands of samples.

"This could be extremely expensive," said Kulp. "My five-year budget plan guesstimates $100,000 for the first year."

While the state has done some testing around Carthage as a result of the findings there, Kulp noted that no one is routinely testing water elsewhere to make sure it is safe for human contact.

"We are the only ones attempting to do some routine monitoring for E. coli," Kulp said of the health department.

Many area county health departments do not do any E. coli or bacteria sampling, and have previously cited limited staff and budget restrictions as the reason.

Lawrence County

Lawrence County officials also are hoping to expand bacteria sampling, said Alethea Goodman, administrator for the health department.

She said the health department recently received a $98,300 grant for two years for a number of programs, including acquiring laboratory equipment to test their own samples. The samples previously had to be taken to Stone County.

By putting in its own lab, Lawrence County officials hope to run samples at more sites more often.

The latest analyses, done in August, found elevated E. coli levels in 10 of 16 samples collected at eight sites around Lawrence County.

What is E. coli?

"E. coli is a type of fecal coliform bacteria commonly found in the intestines of animals and humans. E. coli is short for Escherichia coli. The presence of E. coli in water is a strong indication of recent sewage or animal waste contamination. Sewage may contain many types of disease-causing organisms."

Source: Environmental Protection Agency