Rick Patrick
rick@greenepublishing.com
A health advisory that has been in place since it was first issued on Tuesday, Feb. 11 by the Madison and Hamilton County Health Departments has now been lifted. The advisory was issued for the areas on and along the Withlacoochee River because of high levels of bacteria found in the river's waters. The advisory had led the Madison County Board of County Commissioners to declare a state of emergency that lasted several weeks.
According to testing data provided by the Florida Department of Health, on Thursday, March 5, levels of E. coli (Escherichia coli - a dangerous bacterium commonly found in the intestines of humans and other animals, which can cause severe illness if exposed to or ingested) that were too numerous to count were found on the Withlacoochee River at both Ga. 31 and at Fla. 6. On Thursday, March 19, the E. coli level at Ga. 31 had dropped to 101.7 (MPN/100mL). On Tuesday, March 24, the E. coli level at that same location had dropped to 63 (MPN/100mL). At Fla. 6 the E. coli level was 121 (MPN/100mL) on Thursday, March 19. On Tuesday, March 24, that level was down to 31 (MPN/100mL).
The river will continue to be monitored. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has set up a website with up to date testing results posted. That website is: https://floridadep.gov/dear/watershed-monitoring-section/content/suwannee-river-basin-sampling-locations.