Russ Zimmer

@RussZimmer

The presence of fecal bacteria in the Navesink River has intensified in recent years

These coliforms are a sign that dangerous pathogens are possibly present in the water

New testing has confirmed that some portion of the pollution is human waste

That makes it especially risky to people

Scientists' fears have been confirmed: Human waste is present in the Navesink River, according to new test results.

Studies performed by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, a team of Rutgers researchers and Clean Ocean Action — each using different methods — all reached the same conclusion: Somehow human waste is flushing into the river.

The findings were announced during a community meeting Thursday night.

They can't say how much of the fecal bacteria load is from people or where exactly it's coming from, but the results confirm what scientists feared they'd find.

"We never want to see human (waste in the waterway), but it might be a very small percentage," said Bob Schuster, who is the chief of the DEP's Bureau of Marine Water Monitoring.

Clean Ocean Action published a report last month proclaiming that fecal coliforms — a bacteria found in the intestines of warm-blooded animals that can be a harbinger of dangerous pathogens — represented a serious threat to the river's future as a natural treasure as well as a place of business and play.



EARLIER: The Navesink River is becoming a toilet

A subsequent analysis of EPA data by the Asbury Park Press found that 1 in 11 water quality samples taken from the Navesink from 2011 through 2015 exceeded safe swimming levels of fecal coliform. The dirtiest spots were clustered around the Route 35 bridge that connects Red Bank and Middletown where more than 20 percent of samples were dirty.

WATER QUALITY: Navesink tops Shrewsbury in fecal matter

In addition to being unseemly, fecal coliforms, especially those generated alongside human waste, are a bright red flag that water quality is suffering. Accidentally swallowing water that is high in this type of bacteria can cause gastrointestinal illnesses as well as respiratory, skin, eye, ear, nose, and throat diseases.

The DEP took the extraordinary step of prohibiting the harvesting of shellfish from 565.7 acres of the Navesink last year. There is only a single stretch of either the Navesink or Shrewsbury rivers where direct harvesting is legal, and that is only allowed during the colder months.

THE SHOW MUST GO ON: Fecal pollution won't stop free paddling event

There were animal signatures found as well, meaning the waste wasn't entirely from humans.

In fact, the researchers can't say what share comes from humans and what comes from wild animals, such as geese, or from horses or dogs whose owners aren't picking up after them. That's no joke: Schuster said every gram of dog droppings contains 23 million fecal coliforms.

What we do know is that rain makes it worse, and that humanity's mark exacerbates the problem even further.

Where once there were meadows and open spaces now stand big-box stores and parking lots, leaving nowhere for the rainfall to soak into the ground.

Storm water runoff rolls down streets and into storm drains before being released into streams that feed the rivers and bays. Whatever the rain contacts on the way comes along for the ride, rather than being filtered through the ground.

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Russ Zimmer: 732-557-5748, razimmer@app.com