E. coli Bacteria Monitoring

Between 2003 and 2006 Wisconsin partnered with volunteer monitoring programs in 5 other Midwest states to assess home lab methods for monitoring E. coli bacteria as compared to state laboratory methods. A second goal was to assess which home lab methods worked best for volunteer monitors.  This study was completed in 2006.

Results of this research suggested that both 3M Petrifilm and Coliscan Easygel worked well as screening tools – that is, they allow citizen monitors to get a general sense of levels of E. coli bacteria in local water bodies for a reasonable cost.

Citizens Monitoring Bacteria: A training manual for monitoring E. coli