Stream Testing

Healthy Swimming Tips

To help protect your family from recreational water illnesses, follow these healthy swimming tips:

  • Do not swim after heavy rains, or if the water is murky. Bacterial levels are often elevated in stormwater runoff.
  • Do not swim when you have diarrhea. You may spread bacteria and make other people sick.
  • Do not swallow stream water; and if possible avoid getting it in your mouth altogether.
  • Practice good hygiene. Bacteria from your hands could end up on your food.
  • When water is contaminated or conditions are uncertain, avoid full-body contact water activities such as swimming and diving.

Recreational waters, such as lakes and rivers, are popular destinations for Ozarks residents in the summer. The water in these swimming areas can contain harmful bacteria that can make swimmers sick. 

From 2008-2019, we partnered with the Watershed Committee of the Ozarks to test water from five stream and river locations in Greene County for the presence of coliform bacteria (E. coli).

View Historical Data:

We use the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) water quality criteria for monitoring bacteria, which states that no single water sample should have an E. coli count that exceeds 235 CFUs (colony forming units) per 100 ml of water.