The Evaluation of Water Quality and Weather Patterns as Indicators for Escherichia Coli in Slaters Creek Watershed in Millersville, Tennessee

Water quality sampling was conducted in conjunction with the city of Millersville, Tennessee in order to assess levels of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in Slaters Creek. The city of Millersville is under a storm water National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit that requires compliance monitoring. In the past, monitoring of E. coli has resulted in noncompliance with state water quality regulations. A water quality assessment, including E. coli and water quality parameters, was conducted to determine if E. coli levels varied between dates within the study area. Statistical methods were utilized to determine if variations existed between the sampling strata, potential sources of pollution, and external influences, such as rainfall. Results indicated that principal components analysis is a viable tool for elucidating water quality changes and explaining variability in the data. Future watershed monitoring in Millersville should include biological sampling to determine the chronic effect of pollutants from storm water runoff