Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, August 25, 1993 TAG: 9308250248
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
They warn people not to swim in the Roanoke River because it is unhealthy.
The river's fecal coliform count is higher than the standard set by federal and state environmental agencies for recreational waters.
The bacteria, which come from animal and human feces, can cause cholera, typhoid and other illnesses.
Someone called the city Health Department recently and asked why the signs had been erected.
This week, a television news report said that the signs had been put up recently.
Not so, says Don Stern, the city's health director.
"They've been there a long time. This is nothing new - not a new policy," Stern said Tuesday.
Another city official said the signs near Smith and Wasena parks on Wiley Drive have been there at least a decade.
After receiving the call about the signs, Stern said he checked the data on fecal coliform in the river for the past six years.
While the bacteria level poses no major or immediate health threat, Stern said, the river exceeds the standards at some points.
"I decided we ought to keep the signs," he said.
There have been no recent reports of people becoming ill after swimming in the river, but health officials said they don't want to take chances.
Roanoke gets its drinking water from Carvins Cove, not the river, but still treats it to kill the bacteria.
Salem gets its water from the river, and the county will draw water from the river for the Spring Hollow Reservoir. They also treat their water to remove fecal coliform.
The Roanoke River is not unique, Stern said. Many other streams have high fecal coliform counts.
There are no signs prohibiting swimming along the river in Roanoke County, where officials said there is less fecal coliform than there was 20 years ago.
Richard Tabb, an environmental engineer for the county Health Department, said the river's water quality has improved, although it still doesn't meet state standards.
"Some people used to have drain pipes that ran straight into the river," Tabb said.
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality monitors streams for fecal coliform and other bacteria. It gives the test results to the health departments, which decide if streams are off-limits for swimming or other activities.
"It is not our decision on whether restrictions are imposed," said Kip Foster, water resources manager in the regional office for the state agency.
by CNB