Web site monitors Chattahoochee bacteria levels

ATLANTA - A new Web site provides real-time estimates of bacteria counts in the Chattahoochee River, just in time for summer revelers who plan to ``shoot the Hooch.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Environmentalists say heavy rains can flood the sewer system running along the river, flushing pollution into the water and sending levels of dangerous bacteria like E- coli well beyond federal safety standards. <br> <br> Swallowing infected water can cause diarrhea, and germs can more easily cause infection in a cut or scrape. <br> <br> Last summer the National Park Service put up bright yellow warning signs on days when river bacteria levels were high enough to present a health risk. <br> <br> The new Web site is operated by the Atlanta office of the U.S. Geological Survey. <br> <br> Pollution concerns have contributed to a decline in the number of rafters floating down the river. About 75,000 floated down the Chattahoochee last summer, down from 150,000 a year in the mid-1980s. <br> <br> The executive director of the environmental advocacy group Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, Sally Bethea, says that when the weather is good, the water is generally safe and much cleaner than people think.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/5/194141