Assessing Oregon's twenty-six coastal beach areas for recreational water quality standards

Water samples from 26 Oregon beaches were analyzed for Escherichia coli (E. coli) and enterococci concentrations by the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) Public Health Laboratory. Nine Oregon beaches exceeded US Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) single sample maximum density of 104 enterococci colony forming units (cfu) per 100 mL with levels ranging from 121 to 4325 most probable number (MPN)/100 milliliters (mL). Otter Rock at South Cove had the highest enterococci concentration at 4352 MPN/100 mL. The results from two Oregon beaches exceeded Oregon Department of Environmental Quality's (ODEQ) estuarine E. coli standard of 406 organisms/100 mL. Otter Rock at South Cove had the highest E. coli concentration at 1850 MPN/100 mL while Road's End had an E. coli density of 771 MPN/100 mL. Results of this study suggest that adopting USEPA's marine enterococci standard in lieu of the ODEQ's estuarine standard will lead to increased Oregon beach water standard failures.