Urban streams are becoming increasingly polluted by anthropogenic activity, and in Schenectady (NY) two primary stressors include poor wastewater infrastructure and road salt use. Urban streams in Schenectady include Mill Creek and Cowhorn Creek that empty into the Binnekill (feeder to the Mohawk), and the Hans Groot Kill, which empties directly into the Mohawk River. These streams were sampled to evaluate water quality and analyzed for pathogens. This study is primarily focused on fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) Enterococcus, which is an EPA-approved method of determining surface water quality and it is an established indicator of sewage in waterways. The average pathogen values in the Hans Groot Kill and Binnekill exceeded EPA guidance for Enterococcus, often by several orders of magnitude. Out of the 11 samples from the Binnekill, 32 from Hans Groot Kill, and 43 from the Mohawk, 73% 100%, and 54% of samples, respectively, failed the EPA’s criteria for contact with surface waters. High pathogens occur during rainfall events when contaminants are mobilized. However, Enterococcus in the Hans Groot Kill remains high even during dry periods, indicating a base-level contamination that occurs in all weather conditions, almost certainly due to impaired infrastructure (broken pipes). During extreme weather events in the fall of 2021 the Union College campus was impacted by failing sewer systems, when sewer overflows on campus spilled untreated wastewater directly into the Hans Groot Kill. At low base flow, the urban creeks have elevated levels of nitrate, sulfate, chloride, and sodium that may indicate loads from contaminated groundwater. This finding is especially apparent in elevated levels of sodium and chloride, which probably come from road salt that temporarily resides in groundwater but is released at base flow. The high dissolved ion loads as well as high pathogen levels in these streams indicates leaking of sewer pipes in Schenectady due to aging infrastructure and/or illegally connected pipes. Elevated levels of sodium, chloride, nitrate, and phosphate are particularly problematic. Monitoring of these waters must continue to inform plans for improved sewage handling and infrastructure repairs that need to be implemented to remediate contamination in the Mohawk River, which is a source of municipal drinking water downstream.
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