This workplan describes efforts to be undertaken by the Suffolk County Department of Health Services (SCDHS) Office of Ecology, to assess and identify sources of bacterial contaminants that have resulted in frequent criteria exceedances at three bathing beaches, Valley Grove in Eatons Neck, the Centerport Yacht Club Beach on Northport Harbor, and Benjamin’s Beach on Great South Bay. Although the majority of beaches in Suffolk County are pollution free and provide a safe and healthy recreational environment for their patrons, some are subject to influences that can adversely affect water quality and potentially expose bathers to microbial pathogens. For the most part these influences include surface runoff, stormwater discharges, and limited tidal flushing, although resident populations of waterfowl and discharges from nearby sewage treatment plants and/or marinas may also affect some beaches.

In an effort to protect public health in areas that are impacted by pathogens, the SCDHS conducts a bathing beach water quality monitoring program during the summer bathing season. Efforts are concentrated on higher risk beaches, including those that have historically demonstrated poor water quality or are potentially a risk because of their proximity to pollution sources (e.g., streams, creeks, or stormwater outfalls), or are located on poorly flushed embayments.

To evaluate beach water quality, levels of "indicator organisms" are used as an estimate of fecal contamination. In accordance with recommendations from the USEPA and with requirements of the New York State Sanitary Code, Suffolk County uses Enterococcus as an indicator organism for all marine (coastal) beaches. Sample results are assessed in relation to criteria for individual samples as well as for the average (geometric mean) of all samples collected in a 30-day period. When criteria are exceeded, the beach is closed and the public notified through press releases, the department’s website, and by posting a message on a telephone hotline.

Although notifying the public when beach water quality exceeds bacterial standards protects public health, a more protective approach is to identify and eliminate the sources of pollution causing the exceedances. With this in mind, staff from the New York State Department of Health’s Bureau of Community and Environmental Health and Food Protection (BCEHFP), compiled and analyzed coastal beach monitoring results from 2004-2006 to identify beaches that frequently exceeded standards, but for which the sources of contamination had yet to be identified. In Suffolk County, the three beaches indicated above were identified.

With supplemental grant monies received through the federal BEACH act, the BCEHFP is funding the County to conduct extensive sanitary survey site assessments and bacteriological sampling, as well as to utilize other available methods, to identify pollution sources at these three beaches. The results of the assessments will be used to help direct remediation efforts to improve water quality, reduce potential exposure of bathers to pollution, and to prevent potential illnesses. The total award of $31,858 will be distributed over a two year period, with $20,972 available for the initial year, and $10,886 for the second year.

For each of the three beaches identified, in-depth sanitary survey assessments and intensive bacteriological monitoring will be the principal means utilized to identify bacterial sources. Additional efforts to speciate bacteria will be done using a Vitek-2 automated bacteriological identification system. The number of Vitek analyses conducted will depend on resources available after required Enterococcus analyses are complete. As per the funding schedule identified by the BCEHFP, two beaches (Valley Grove and Centerport Yacht Club) will be studied during the 2008 bathing season, with the third beach (Benjamin’s Beach) done in 2009.

Initial tasks to be accomplished include the following:

Sanitary and bathymetric surveys will delineate/include the following beach and watershed features:

Bacteriological monitoring will be conducted on a daily basis (Mon-Fri) as is feasible, with all samples analyzed for Enterococcus according to EPA Method 1600 by the Suffolk County Public & Environmental Health Laboratory (PEHL). The number of sampling sites will be determined by the preliminary surveys, but will include multiple sites at each beach, a number of appropriate adjacent areas, and any point source (stream, pipe, etc) considered to represent a potential source of contamination to the beach. It is estimated that approximately 10-15 sites will be sampled at each of the two beaches monitored in 2008 (Valley Grove and Centerport Yacht Club), with 15-20 sites done at Benjamin’s Beach and surrounds in 2009. For quality control purposes, replicate samples will be collected at 10% of sampling locations. For each beach sample collected, various physical measurements will also be taken, including salinity, temperature, turbidity, solar radiation, wind speed and direction, wave height, and current speed and direction. Observations routinely made will include sky conditions, bather load, beach debris/litter, floatables, macroalgae (on wrack line and in near-shore), animals on beach, and the presence of any animal feces.

In order to minimize transcription errors and insure accuracy, as well as to facilitate the timely computerization of collected field data, the department is planning to develop an electronic forms-based field data collection system that will utilize portable devices such as PDAs or laptop computers. The portable devices will have the capability to synchronize with the bathing beach database either in real-time using wireless technology, or subsequent to data collection using a conventional docking station.

It is also anticipated that a number of intensive dry and wet sampling events will be conducted at each beach to better delineate background bacterial levels as well as the impacts associated with storm water runoff. Both wet and dry events will be conducted following a minimum antecedent dry period of 72 hours. Two sampling teams consisting of two individuals per team will be used for each event to ensure enough staff is available to transport samples to the lab in time for analyses to be conducted within the required six hours of collection. Boat sampling runs in addition to standard land-based runs may be necessary to sufficiently sample some areas. For the dry events, samples will be collected every two hours for an eight hour period (five sets of samples) on an outgoing tide. During wet events, samples will be collected prior to rainfall, every two hours during the rain event, and again on each of three subsequent days following cessation of rainfall, at low tide. Continuous recording rainfall gauges will be deployed at each beach to provide the necessary data for comparison with enterococcus densities.

All samples will be collected by Public Health Sanitarians, with possible assistance from summer interns, according to standard QA/QC techniques relating to sample preservation, proper holding times, and the prevention of contamination, as per the SCDHS Surface Water Quality Monitoring Standard Operating Procedures Manual.

An assessment report for each beach will be submitted to the BCEHFP as completed during each grant period, or on or before October 31, 2009. The sanitary survey assessment and subsequent assessment report for each beach will include the following as applicable:

In addition to the individual beach assessment reports, the following reports will be submitted to the BCEHFP: