Sewage, or septic, pet, and livestock waste, can all make our waterways unsafe to swim in. Learn how we are working to make them safer.
What we do to resolve this issue:
Mobile Baykeeper’s AmeriCorps Patrol Team pays attention to the water through the SWIM (Swim Where It’s Monitored) program. SWIM helps illustrate just how connected we are to the health of the watershed. At 14 sites around Baldwin and Mobile counties, we are taking water samples and testing for Enterococcus or E. coli, as well as other parameters, and posting these results to Swim Guide, so citizens can know when and where it’s safe to swim. These tiny microorganisms are commonly found in the guts of people and other warm-blooded animals and can also be present in our waterways. Enterococcus and E. coli in and of themselves are not necessarily dangerous but they are indicators that other more dangerous pathogens may be present. If you were to swim in water with high levels of these bacteria, it could potentially cause some serious health issues.
In 2023, we launched the Mobile County Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Program as a partnership between Mobile Baykeeper, the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program, and the Alabama Water Watch. Through this program, we teach people how to properly sample water at specific sites in Mobile County to better understand the water chemistry and bacteria levels present in the rivers and streams that flow into the Mobile Bay.
Through a combination of our regular SWIM water quality monitoring, stormwater inspections, and more, we detect and track sewage spills on a regular basis. Mobile and Baldwin Counties need to consistently invest in and maintain sewer collection systems to decrease the frequency and severity of overflows and accommodate current and future growth. Mobile Baykeeper advocates for more resources to repair and replace damaged and aging sewer infrastructure. We do this by working with utility providers to find solutions to problems associated with sewage collection systems. When utilities won’t work with us, we may use the rule of law to hold them accountable.
