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Streams and rivers downstream from developed areas have higher bacterial counts after rainfall.
Gannon JJ, Busse MK. 1989. E. coli and enterococci levels in urban stormwater, river water and chlorinated treatment plant effluent. Water Res 23:1167-1176.4,000 beach closings annually due to unsafe water quality.
No referencesStrong relationship between large rainfalls and outbreaks of waterborne diseases. More than half of the documented waterborne disease outbreaks since 1948 have followed extreme rainfalls.
Curriero FC, Patz JA, Rose JB, Lele SD. 2001. The association between extreme precipitation and waterborne disease outbreaks in the United States, 1948-1994. Am J Public Health 91:1194-1199.Urban runoff is responsible for approximately 47% of the pathogen contamination of the Long Island Sound.
Long Island Sound Study. 1994. Summary of the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan. Stamford, CT: US EPA. Report EPA-842-S-94-001.