Industrial Use Success Stories

The following stories mark our success:

1) In July 1996, Lake Watch was contacted by a senior citizen in Alexander City concerning a strong sewage smell coming from a drainage ditch next to his house. Over a period of 10 years and two City administrations, the man had attempted to get the problem resolved without success. The man suspected that a sewer line upstream was leaking into the ditch, and he was worried for his grandchildren who played in the yard near the ditch.

Lake Watch members visited the site and immediately noted a foul odor and badly stained water in the ditch. Water samples (1 mL) were taken from the subject ditch and from a nearby ditch using Coliscan Easygel test kits. Petri dishes were placed in a homemade incubator at a temperature range between 85-95° F.

After 24 hours, the petri dishes had developed sufficiently to determine that the subject stream was badly contaminated (E. coli too numerous to count), and the adjacent stream was only minimally contaminated. Lake Watch met with the complainant and several of his neighbors to explain the test results.

Armed with the test results, one of the neighbors went to the Mayors office and requested immediate action to correct the sewage problem; otherwise, the problem would be referred to either State Health or ADEM officials. This visit was on a Friday, and the following Monday produced City workers and heavy equipment at the suspected problem site. It was discovered that a lengthy section of sewer line had been installed using two-foot by 6-inch concrete drainage pipes, and sewage was running into the drainage ditch. The faulty sewer line was replaced, and follow-up sampling by Lake Watch has found only minimal levels of E. coli.

2) In August 1996, Lake Watch was contacted by a maintenance worker at an Alexander City bank concerning suspected sewage contamination of a landscaped pond with a decorative fountain. Upon inspection, a strong sewage odor was detected from a small stream draining into the pond.

Water samples (1 ml) were taken using the Coliscan Easygel test kits, and petri dishes were placed in a homemade incubator with a temperature range of 85-95° F. After 24 hours, the E. coli were too numerous to count, and it was suspected that an adjacent underground sewer line was leaking into the stream.

City officials were notified, and testing initiated using their laboratory. These tests verified Lake Watch test results. Within two days, heavy equipment had determined that a major blockage in a section of sewer line was causing direct leakage into the small stream. The sewer lines were repaired, and subsequent Lake Watch testing has found only minimal levels of E. coli.

Reproduced by permission for Micrology Laboratories, LLC.