Pirate Island

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The State of Alabama does not routinely monitor inland (freshwater) swimming areas/beaches. Several swimming areas are monitored by Alabama Water Watch volunteer monitors at sites where there is significant recreational use. Monitoring is done using methods (protocols) developed by the AWW Program that have been approved by Region 4 of the U.S. EPA (the EPA-approved AWW bacteriological monitoring plan is available at www.alabamawaterwatch.org/resources/publications). AWW volunteer monitors throughout Alabama continue monitoring sites as long as resources and trained volunteers are available. All bacteriological monitoring data is routinely uploaded to the AWW online database and is available to the public in chart format. To view these data, go to: www.alabamawaterwatch.org/water-data, here you can either search 1) Data by Table, or 2) Data by Map. To determine what constitutes safe and unsafe levels of bacterial contamination, AWW volunteer monitors use the criterion established by the AWW Program. This criterion is based on a single sample taken in triplicate, the normal sampling regime for AWW volunteer monitors that AWW teaches in its Bacteriological Monitoring workshops. This criterion agrees closely with the criterion that the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) adopted in 2010 (when they switched from a fecal coliform criterion to one based on E. coli), and to the Beach Action Value (BAV) recommended by EPA in 2012 in their publication 'Recreational Water Quality Criteria' (EPA-820-F-12-058). The AWW criterion for acceptable levels of E. coli in waterbodies that are considered relatively safe for human contact is: AWW Criterion: less than or equal to 200 E. coli/100 mL of water (Note: ADEM Criterion: less than or equal to 235 E. coli/100 mL; EPA BAV*: less than or equal to 235 E. coli/100 mL) A beach is marked GREEN when the single-sample result (average of triplicate readings) indicates a bacteria count of zero to 200 E. coli/100 mL of water. A beach is marked RED when single-sample results indicate bacteria counts greater than 200 E. coli/100 mL of water. A beach is marked GREY when reliable information is not available * EPA BAV based on an estimated illness rate of 36 individuals per 1,000 ( illness rate as defined in EPA's NEEAR study). For more information, see EPA's 2012 Recreational Water Quality Criteria document at www.epa.gov/wqc/2012-recreational-water-quality-criteria-documents .