Sunny day flooding leads to more fecal bacteria in coastal waters, NC State researchers say
DOWN THE PROCESS IS EXPECTED
TO TAKE ABOUT 2 MONTHS. HIGH
TIDE ON YOUR NEXT BEACH TRIP
MIGHT WASH UP A BIT OF A
FACTOR. FECAL BACTERIA. A NEW
NC STATE STUDY LOOKS AT HOW
SUNNY DAY FLOODING AS THEY CALL
IT IS IMPACTING WATER QUALITY
AT THE COAST. WRAL, CLIMATE
CHANGE REPORTER LIZ MCLAUGHLIN
TELLS US MORE ABOUT THE
RESEARCH.
>> WHY THIS PROBLEM IS GETTING
WORSE.
>> RESEARCHERS LOOKED AT
SOMETHING CALLED SUNNY DAY
FLOODING. THAT HAPPENS DURING
HIGH TIDE WITHOUT THE PRESENCE
OF A STORM. SEA LEVEL RISE IS
MAKING THIS HAPPEN MORE OFTEN.
AND SCIENTISTS SAY BRINGING
MORE BACTERIA TO COASTAL
WATERS.
AND EVERY TIME WE COME, WE TRY
TO GET DOWN HERE AND WE LOVE
IT. I LOVE THE SAND. JANET
REAGAN WAS THRILLED TO SPEND
TIME AT THE BEACH WITH HER
DAUGHTER AND FAMILY FOR AN
EXTENDED MOTHER'S DAY TRIP
RETIRED. SO WE CAME TO VISIT
HER THE GRANDCHILD
>> BUT WAS UNSETTLED TO LEARN
THAT SCIENTISTS ARE FINDING
MORE FECAL BACTERIA IN
COASTAL WATERWAYS.
>> ABSOLUTELY GROWS. BEST NEWS
TO ME AND A LITTLE CONCERNING
USUALLY RAIN EVENTS ARE THE
BIGGEST CAUSES OF FECAL
CONTAMINATION ON
THE COAST.
>> BUT HIGHER HIGH TIDES ARE A
GROWING PROBLEM FOR WATER
QUALITY WHEN IT COMES TO SUNNY
DAY FLOODING. WE'RE SEEING AN
INCREASE IN THOSE EVENTS
HAPPENING ACROSS THE COAST.
NC STATE PROFESSOR NATALIE
NELSON PH D STUDENT MEGAN CAR
SAY SEA LEVEL RISE IS TO BLAME
AND THAT LAND SINKING GROUND
WATER DRILLING IN AGING
INFRASTRUCTURE HAVE ONLY
EXACERBATED THE PROBLEM.
WE ARE SEEING
>> SIGNS THAT THIS COULD BE
AN INCREASING ISSUE IN THE
FUTURE SINCE IT IS MOVING
AROUND THE FECAL BACTERIA FROM
THE PIPE SYSTEM TO OUR
WATERWAYS, WAITERS,
>> THAT WE WEAR BECAUSE WE'RE
WALKING THROUGH FLOOD WATERS.
>> PART OF DAILY SAMPLES OVER
2 MONTHS, INCLUDING DURING THE
HIGHEST TIDES CALLED KING TIDES
FROM 6 DIFFERENT SORTS OF
SENSORS. AND SHE FOUND SOME
AREAS, INCLUDING SHALLOW
ROADWAY. FLOODS WERE OFF THE
CHARTS CONTAMINATED.
>> ACTUALLY, ON A COUPLE
OCCASIONS, MAXED OUT OUR
BACTERIA DETECTION LIMITS IN
THE LABORATORY. SHE SAYS IN
MOST CASES, THE CONTAMINATION
LEVELS DROP DOWN BY THE NEXT
DAY.
>> BUT THE RESULTS ARE HIGHLY
VARIABLE FROM LOCATION TO
LOCATION PIPE TO PIPE. NOW YOU
MAY HAVE SEEN VIDEOS ONLINE OF
PEOPLE KAYAKING THROUGH THESE
FLOOD WATERS. ARE CHILDREN
PLAYING IN THE POOLS THAT CAN
ACCUMULATE AFTER THESE HIGH
TIDES? PROBABLY NOT A GOOD IDEA
AS RESEARCHERS CONTINUE TO
EXPLORE THE HEALTH IMPLICATIONS
OF THESE HIGHER BACTERIA
LEVELS.