OWML: Current Projects

The goal of the Great Lakes Ocean Research Priorities Plan (ORPP) is to advance the science of monitoring and assessing recreational water quality to provide beach managers with reliable, science based information to make well-informed beach closure decisions to protect public health. (more)...

Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) are a relatively new wastewater treatment technology in which the conventional secondary treatment or secondary with tertiary treatment processes are replaced by a membrane separation process. Although there is adequate information on the reduction of bacteria and protozoa concentrations through MBR processes, especially in drinking waters, manufacturers report variable success in reducing concentrations of viruses. (more)...

The water quality of the Cuyahoga River within the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) is a primary concern to park managers and to visitors of the park. The 23-mile reach of the Cuyahoga River within the park receives discharges of storm water, combined-sewer overflows, and incompletely disinfected wastewater from urban areas. These discharges result in a threat to the health of visitors who come into contact with river water (more)...

Various DNA markers have been proposed to allow association of fecal contamination in water to animal sources.  According to many, DNA-based markers represent the future of fecal source tracking.  Marker-based source tracking protocols are being improved incrementally and used in various research settings; however, further maturation of these tools, relies partly upon standardization of protocols and understanding of environmental processes.  Protocols for (more)...

As communities in Ohio continue to work toward eliminating pollutant discharge to streams to meet to goals of the Clean Water Act, wastewater reuse through onsite wastewater treatment followed by use for irrigation is an important option.  It has been estimated that only 6.4% of Ohio soils are suitable for traditional leach-line or mound septic (more)...

The need for a method to rapidly determine concentrations of fecal-indicator bacteria in recreational waters is widely recognized. Current methods to monitor concentrations of fecal-indicator bacteria require at least 18-24 hours from sample collection to availability of results. Bacteria concentrations in the water (more)...

E. coli analysis by real-time PCR (QPCR) and IMS/ATP rapid method are new methods that have shown promise by the USGS and other agencies. E. coli by QPCR is a method that needs to be explored as a new capability for the OWML. E. coli by IMS/ATP rapid method is currently being used for two projects by the OWML; however, it has been determined that some optimization should be done to (more)...

Current methods to determine concentrations of fecal-indicator bacteria require at least 18–24 hours from sample collection to availability of results. This time frame is too long to adequately assess the safety of the water based on recreational standards. Bacteria concentrations in the water can change overnight; and because results of the current day’s bacteria concentrations are not (more)...

Certain microbiological pathogens are considered potential biological warfare agents and cause homeland security concerns, especially for drinking-water supplies.  Traditional cultural and microscopic methods allow detection of these pathogens; however, the methods take days before any confirmatory answer is available.  A quantitative polymerase chain reaction (more)...