Staphylococci concentrations (CFU/100 mL) compared to US and EU recreational water-quality criteria (RWQC) and the US beach action value (BAV) for E. coli at Great Lakes beaches
| Beach . | Total number of samples for E. colia . | Beach met the US RWQCb . | EU E. coli coastal quality statusc . | EU E. coli inland lakes quality statusd . | % of samples that exceed state's BAVe . | Median staphylococci concentration . | Median staphylococci concentration when BAV met . | Median staphylococci concentration when BAV exceeded . |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Erie 1 (OH) | 23 | No | Poor | Poor | 35 | 136 | 68 | > 300 |
| Lake Erie 2 (OH) | 23 | No | Excellent | Excellent | 22 | 90 | 59 | > 300 |
| Lake Erie 3 (NY) | 22 | Yes | Good | Excellent | 14 | 200 | 188 | > 300 |
| Lake Erie 4 (NY) | 23 | Yes | Good | Excellent | 13 | 166 | 124 | > 300 |
| Lake Erie 5 (NY) | 17 | No | Poor | Poor | 29 | 140 | 92 | > 300 |
| Lake Huron 1 (MI) | 21 | Yes | Excellent | Excellent | 0 | 10 | > 300 | NAf |
| Lake Huron 2 (MI) | 21 | No | Good | Excellent | 14 | 71 | 70 | > 300 |
| Lake Michigan 1 (WI) | 20 | No | Poor | Poor | 50 | 52 | 30 | > 300 |
| Lake Michigan 2 (WI) | 23 | Yes | Excellent | Excellent | 4 | > 300 | > 300 | > 300g |
| Lake Michigan 3 (WI) | 22 | Yes | Excellent | Excellent | 18 | 31 | 26 | 45 |
| Lake Michigan 4 (MI) | 26 | Yes | Excellent | Excellent | 0 | 21 | 45 | NA |
| Lake Michigan 5 (MI) | 26 | Yes | Excellent | Excellent | 0 | 53 | 51 | NA |
| Lake Michigan 6 (MI) | 12 | Yes | Excellent | Excellent | 8 | 292 | 284 | > 300 |
| Total | 279 | 15 | 58 | > 300 |
| Beach . | Total number of samples for E. colia . | Beach met the US RWQCb . | EU E. coli coastal quality statusc . | EU E. coli inland lakes quality statusd . | % of samples that exceed state's BAVe . | Median staphylococci concentration . | Median staphylococci concentration when BAV met . | Median staphylococci concentration when BAV exceeded . |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Erie 1 (OH) | 23 | No | Poor | Poor | 35 | 136 | 68 | > 300 |
| Lake Erie 2 (OH) | 23 | No | Excellent | Excellent | 22 | 90 | 59 | > 300 |
| Lake Erie 3 (NY) | 22 | Yes | Good | Excellent | 14 | 200 | 188 | > 300 |
| Lake Erie 4 (NY) | 23 | Yes | Good | Excellent | 13 | 166 | 124 | > 300 |
| Lake Erie 5 (NY) | 17 | No | Poor | Poor | 29 | 140 | 92 | > 300 |
| Lake Huron 1 (MI) | 21 | Yes | Excellent | Excellent | 0 | 10 | > 300 | NAf |
| Lake Huron 2 (MI) | 21 | No | Good | Excellent | 14 | 71 | 70 | > 300 |
| Lake Michigan 1 (WI) | 20 | No | Poor | Poor | 50 | 52 | 30 | > 300 |
| Lake Michigan 2 (WI) | 23 | Yes | Excellent | Excellent | 4 | > 300 | > 300 | > 300g |
| Lake Michigan 3 (WI) | 22 | Yes | Excellent | Excellent | 18 | 31 | 26 | 45 |
| Lake Michigan 4 (MI) | 26 | Yes | Excellent | Excellent | 0 | 21 | 45 | NA |
| Lake Michigan 5 (MI) | 26 | Yes | Excellent | Excellent | 0 | 53 | 51 | NA |
| Lake Michigan 6 (MI) | 12 | Yes | Excellent | Excellent | 8 | 292 | 284 | > 300 |
| Total | 279 | 15 | 58 | > 300 |
aOnly includes samples with associated E. coli concentrations. Escherichia coli concentration was not determined for a small number of samples included in this study.
bUnited States Environmental Protection Agency, 2012 recreational water-quality criteria (USEPA 2012). Yes = beach met both the geometric mean (GM) of 126 CFU/100 mL and statistical threshold value (STV) of 410 CFU/100 mL values for E. coli based on the reported E. coli values over the course of the study. No = beach failed one or both criteria.
cDirective 2006/7/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 February 2006 concerning the management of bathing water quality and repealing Directive 76/160/EEC. Official Journal of the European Union L 64/37, 2006. Excellent: <250 CFU/100 mL based on a 95th percentile evaluation of 16 samples over 4 years; good: <500 CFU/100 mL based on a 95th percentile evaluation of 16 samples over 4 years; sufficient: <500 CFU/100 mL based on a 90th percentile evaluation of 16 samples over 4 years; and poor: does not meet ‘sufficient’.
dDirective 2006/7/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 February 2006 concerning the management of bathing water quality and repealing Directive 76/160/EEC. Official Journal of the European Union L 64/37, 2006. Excellent: <500 CFU/100 mL based on a 95th percentile evaluation of 16 samples over 4 years; good: <1,000 CFU/100 mL based on a 95th percentile evaluation of 16 samples over 4 years; sufficient: <900 CFU/100 mL based on a 90th percentile evaluation of 16 samples over 4 years; and poor: does not meet ‘sufficient’.
eBeach action value (BAV), United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2012 recreational water-quality criteria (USEPA 2012); 235 CFU/100 mL.
fNA, beach did not have any sample that exceeded BAV; therefore, no value could be determined.
gSeven out of the 23 samples were not quantifiable.