Sources and Variability of Cryptosporidium in the Milwaukee River Watershed

Recent well-publicized waterborne Cryptosporidium outbreaks involving large numbers of ill people and some deaths have been attributed to possible treatment deficiencies linked with source water (watershed) contamination. Understanding the occurence and variability of Cryptosporidium in a watershed is critical to the production of a safe drinking water supply. Essential to this understanding is the ability to characterize potential sources of Cryptosporidium and predict their occurrence in a watershed. The purpose of the work described in this report is to define the relative magnitude and contributions of Cryptosporidium from major non-point sources defined by urban land use, rural land use and point source wastewater discharges and to characterize contributions of each source by factors such as hydrograph timing, climatic effects and seasonal variations.

Statistical models are presented that can be used to estimate the probability of high Cryptosporidium levels from a given combination of conditions and may be useful for maximising sampling strategies for watershed managers charged with understanding Cryptosporidium occurrence in a watershed.

This title belongs to WERF Research Report Series

ISBN: 9781843396659 (Print)

ISBN: 9781780404035 (eBook)