City Turns To Genetic Testing To Discover WHERE POOP IN WATER Is Coming From

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vernon-water-contamination-1.3995205

The City of Vernon, B.C. is turning to genetic testing to determine the source of the E. coli that's been contaminating local water.

Standard water testing can find the presence and amount of E. coli in the water, but can't determine where it's coming from.

E. coli is a bacterium associated with fecal contamination.

Now, the city and Genome B.C. are collecting water samples from streams and Okanagan Lake and sending them to the University of Victoria for testing.

Genome B.C. will split with the city the estimated $99,000 cost of collecting and testing the samples.

Dowhaniuk says the work is planned to last three years but there will be preliminary results available before the end of 2017.

Dowhaniuk says fecal contamination is a potential danger for some communities that draw drinking water from Okanagan Lake.