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2026 Bacteria Monitoring FAQs
Bacteria Monitoring is a community science program in which volunteers collect weekly water samples for public awareness of water quality at highly-used recreation locations throughout the Lower Susquehanna River's Watershed. As one of our Water Watchdog programs, bacteria monitoring serves to inform communities of the safety or danger of popular public river/creek accesses.
In 2026, LSRA and our team of volunteers monitor 28 locations in York, Lancaster, New Cumberland, and Dauphin Counties.
These locations include: 10 sites on the mainstem of the Susquehanna River at City Island in Harrisburg, Steetlton, Goldsboro, Falmouth, Wrightsvile & Columbia, Lake Clarke, and Lake Aldred. 3 Location are monitored for the Conestoga River. And, locations also include 2 sites on Codorus Creek, Muddy Creek, Yellow Breeches Creek, Little Conestoga Creek, Conodoguinet Creek, Pequea Creek, and Swatara Creek.
Bacteria Monitoring is a community science program in which volunteers collect weekly water samples for public awareness of water quality at highly-used recreation locations throughout the Lower Susquehanna River's Watershed. As one of our Water Watchdog programs, bacteria monitoring serves to inform communities of the safety or danger of popular public river and creek accesses.
In 2026, LSRA and our team of volunteers monitor 28 locations in York, Lancaster, New Cumberland, and Dauphin Counties.
These locations include: 10 sites on the mainstem of the Susquehanna River at City Island in Harrisburg, Steetlton, Goldsboro, Falmouth, Wrightsvile & Columbia, Lake Clarke, and Lake Aldred. 3 Location are monitored for the Conestoga River. And, locations also include 2 sites on Codorus Creek, Muddy Creek, Yellow Breeches Creek, Little Conestoga Creek, Conodoguinet Creek, Pequea Creek, and Swatara Creek.
Our volunteer Water Watchdogs visit locations to collect samples on Thursdays or two days before a major holiday if the holiday falls on a weekday.
These samples take about 24 hours to process and have ready for the public to view on either Fridays or one day before a major holiday. Our monitoring season operates within the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Swimming Season between May 1st to September 30th. We begin our monitoring efforts by reporting results for Memorial Day Weekend, then weekly, and then end our season by reporting results for Labor Day Weekend.
In early spring of each year we determine new locations before the monitoring season begins. Each year's expansion is also determined by the capacity of our volunteer support and funding.
"E.coli is considered an indicator organism, used to identify fecal contamination in freshwater and indicate the possible presence of disease-causing bacteria and viruses (pathogens). Individuals who swim or come in contact with water with elevated levels of E.coli and other fecal indicator organisms are at an increased risk of getting sick because of potential exposure to fecal pathogens." - Environmental Protection Agency
E.coli has many opportunities to enter our waterways. E.coli is found in the fecal matter of warm blooded mammals, therefore, E.coli can be found in the natural environment. E.coli contamination comes from human sewage infrastucture that directly discharges into waterways; through agricultural runoff by mismanaged animal manure storage; and runoff by crop land without a proper riparian buffer comprised of vegetation to help filter runoff before entering a waterway.
Even when kayaking, paddle boarding, and canoeing, there is still an increased risk of coming into contact with or accidentally ingesting water contaminated with elevated levels of E.coli. Since there is still a risk, it is recommended to stay away from the water and wait for elevated levels of E.coli to recede, especially if you are immunocompromised or have open wounds.
E.coli levels are dependent on a wide range of factors, like agricultural density, human population density, sewage & animal waste management systems, agricultural practices, and environmental factors. Since E.coli levels are dependent on these factors and can vary from one watershed to the next, we are unable to predict the E.coli levels without regular sampling in other areas.
E. coli contamination is a major topic of discussion in some of our litigation and advocacy efforts. We have fought legal cases and continue to advocate for change in Industrial Agriculture and Combined Sewer Overflow where E. coli monitoring of the waterways these issues impact is crucial for raising the alarm when unpermitted discharges occur.
Please email the Program Manager at aaron@lowsusriverkeeper.org
Great question! Each winter we reach out to our entire community via social media and emails to seek new volunteers for the upcoming season. Please follow us on social media or subscribe to our newsletter and keep an eye out for when we post a volunteer request. You may also email aaron@lowsusriverkeeper.org.
We release results every Friday between Memorial Day and Labor Day on our website, social media and via email. All locations that we currently monitor can be observed on these graphics. Results are also found on the Swim Guide app.
As an advocate for the Lower Susquehanna River, we encourage all River Lovers to recreate and use the River responsibly. However, due to human impacts, there are times when our River may pose higher risks to our health if we enter its waters during and even after times of rainfall events.
We acknowledge that public access of our River is determined by the individual who chooses to access it. We are not an authority of the law, and only provide recommendations for the locations we monitor based on a single day's sampling so the public can have more awareness for making their decisions. For more information about how The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection determines safe swimming recommendations view their guidelines below.
Advocate! Stay up to date on our social media and newsletters, and keep an eye out for LSRA Action Alerts that enable the community members to contribute their voices to fight for clean water!
Visit Swim Guide or download the App to see international bacteria monitoring efforts.
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