Western N.C. Recreational Monitoring Program FAQs

The DWR Asheville Regional Office launched the program to bolster water quality monitoring for heavily recreated waterways in western North Carolina, as well as to ensure that data and information its partners are providing about water quality are reliable.  

E. coli is a diverse species of bacteria found in the environment, food and intestines of animals and humans. The presence of E. coli at elevated levels in streams, lakes and rivers is an indication of the increased presence of disease-causing bacteria and viruses. E. coli can result from point and nonpoint source pollution. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (U.S. EPA)’s website has more information: nonpoint source pollution.

The French Broad River was placed on North Carolina’s 2022 list of impaired waters for exceeding state standards for fecal coliform, a broad group of microscopic organisms that are also indicators of risk for the increased presence of disease-causing bacteria and viruses. Fecal coliform bacteria are associated with human or animal waste. E. coli is a type of fecal coliform.

DWR chooses locations based on available program resources, the volume of recreational use, and based on locations where DWR can best leverage the resources of its collaborators. 

Locations where DWR is testing or providing support to evaluate E. coli can be found on theswimguide.org. Specifics of DWR’s role in those collaborations can be found under “source information” on the theswimguide.org website.

In addition to those locations, DWR's Asheville Regional Office has partnered with environmental and conservation organization Mountain True to provide an E. coli estimator for the French Broad River near Pearson Bridge in Asheville.  

The N.C. Department of Human Health Services (DHHS) is charged with issuing health and (or) recreational advisories in North Carolina. Contact NCDHHS or your local health department to stay up to date on water quality advisories for recreational waters. NCDHHS has recommendations for recreational water safety online.  More summer safety tips can be found online. 

The NCDEQ Division of Water Resources’ Asheville Regional Office launched the Western N.C. Recreational Monitoring Program in 2019 in order to help advise recreational users of natural waterways in the region by providing water quality data assurance and quality control for partner organizations conducting water sampling, as well as support in data sampling and data analysis. The E. coli results posted to theswimguide.org are considered preliminary and should be used as only as precautionary tool for assessing risk.  

DWR's results posted to the site are considered preliminary and should be used as guidance for assessing risk.  

For the WNC Recreational Monitoring Program, NCDHHS provided guidance for freshwater recreational values for E. coli collected as part of the program, and the Buncombe County Health Department was consulted to aid with signage and written communications about these values. Based on NCDHHS' guidance, the E. coli values listed on Swim Guide for many locations in the region are compared to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2012 Recreational Water Quality Criteria (RWQC) that states a limit of 126 colony forming units of E. coli per 100 milliliters for primary contact with the water, such as swimming. In addition, NCDHHS, using the EPA's guidance, calculated a recreational guidance value of 886 Colony Forming Units (CFU)/100 mL of E. coli for activities such as tubing, rowing, kayaking, etc. that do not necessarily involve full contact with the waterbody. Most probable number (MPN) is equivalent to CFU. 

North Carolina does not currently have a regulatory standard for E. coli. As of Jan. 1, 2025, North Carolina surface water standards are based on fecal coliform, a broad group of microscopic organisms that are indicators of risk for disease-causing bacteria and viruses. This standard is used to set effluent limits for permitted dischargers into North Carolina’s waters and to develop impaired waterbody lists. In 2025, the Environmental Management Commission is considering a proposal to amend state rules that would set a statewide standard for E. coli for primary recreation in Class B waterways.  

The presence of E. coli can be associated with sanitary sewer overflows, or unpermitted discharges of untreated wastewater from sewer collection systems, as well as from nonpoint source pollution from runoff from urban or agricultural areas, and failing septic systems, among other sources. Runoff can increase during heavy rains, and DWR data has shown E. coli levels can remain elevated following rain events. Bacteria is also found naturally in the environment and can fluctuate alongside changes in conditions such as water flow, sediment load and temperature. If you observe excessive foam, sheen, discoloration, or other changes in water quality, contact the DEQ Division of Water Resources Asheville Regional Office. 

Strategies to reduce or eliminate sources of E. coli include enhanced infrastructure, best management practices for agricultural operations, increased use of permeable surfaces in urban areas, improved riparian buffers around waterways, more effective nutrient management and improved stormwater management. Property owners can take steps to reduce sediment or fertilizer runoff to waterways, support a watershed coalition to develop a watershed action plan, or support restoration efforts at the state, local and national level. Robust and well-funded partnerships are needed to engage state, county, municipal, commercial, environmental stakeholders, as well as the public.