DETERMINATION OF FECAL SOURCES WITHIN THE CONCHO RIVER SYSTEM, SAN ANGELO, TOM GREEN COUNTY, TX

The need for clean and pathogen free water is a topic of concern for the expanding human populations as water borne pathogens can cause serious, sometimes fatal, illness. Pathogens are microorganism; such as bacteria, viruses, protozoa…etc, which can cause diseases and are readily found in natural waters. This study looked at the amounts of Escherichia coli (E. coli) counts in addition to physiochemical parameters within the system for multiple sites selected along the Middle and South Concho Rivers, a state listed 303d impaired waterway. A moderate sized urban hub in west central Texas, San Angelo is dominantly surrounded by farm and ranch lands. The Concho River System drains these lands and flows through the heart of town before heading to the Colorado River of Texas. Preliminary data demonstrates a nearly 10 times higher count of E. coli in the Concho River as it leaves San Angelo then when it enters the city. This finding is consistent with our counts as we moved west to east downriver sampling bimonthly. Furthermore, January 2012 sampling for host specific Bacteroides 16s rRNA markers will aid determining the exact source of fecal loading within the Concho River System (e.g., are fecal inputs human, bovine, avian, etc. in origin). Data suggests a future need to further study the contaminants found as well as the possible subsequent treatment of the water before the Concho River can be suitable for human contact by current EPA standards.