There is increasing concern regarding spread and proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms in watersheds and their impacts on water quality. In agricultural and rural watersheds fecal coliform occurrence, an indicator of pathogenic contamination, is often thought to be a result of land applications of animal waste. This study used the Hydrologic Simulation Program Fortran (HSPF) along with the Bacterial Indicator Tool to model fecal coliform transport in a coastal watershed with a view to identifying contaminant sources and key contributing areas. Results indicated that the highest levels of fecal coliform contamination (often exceeding the 400 counts/100 ml standard for the area) emanated from areas with and without livestock operations, and from largely forested areas, indicating that livestock operations were not the determining source of fecal coliform as suggested in previous studies. This study found HSPF to be an effective tool for identifying key coliform contributing areas in coastal watersheds.
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Research Article|
September 01 2012
Assessing fecal coliform fate and transport in a coastal watershed using HSPF
Kenya Rolle;
Kenya Rolle
1Biological and Agricultural Systems Engineering, Florida A&M University, 307 N. Perry Paige Bldg, Tallahassee, FL 32307, USA
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Margaret W. Gitau;
2Biological and Agricultural Systems Engineering, Center for Water and Air Quality, Florida A&M University, 307 N. Perry Paige Bldg, Tallahassee, FL 32307, USA
E-mail: [email protected]
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Gang Chen;
Gang Chen
3Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2525 Pottsdamer Street, Tallahassee, FL 32310, USA
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Ashvini Chauhan
Ashvini Chauhan
4School of the Environment, Florida A&M University, 1515 S. MLK Blvd., Suite 305 B FSHSRC, Tallahassee, FL 32307, USA
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Water Sci Technol (2012) 66 (5): 1096–1102.
Article history
Received:
October 14 2011
Accepted:
April 16 2012
Citation
Kenya Rolle, Margaret W. Gitau, Gang Chen, Ashvini Chauhan; Assessing fecal coliform fate and transport in a coastal watershed using HSPF. Water Sci Technol 1 September 2012; 66 (5): 1096–1102. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2012.282
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