Recent research has shown that the concentrations of microbial indicator organisms (e.g., fecal coliforms) in stormwater may be quite high. However, studies have not clearly established relationships between the concentrations of indicator organisms and microbial pathogens in stormwater, or between stormwater indicator organism concentrations and illness. Thus, it is difficult to interpret indicator data collected by local public agencies in the context of potential risk to human health.
The primary objective of this investigation was to generate guidance to enable more accurate and...