What's in the water? A dive into water quality results in Central Virginia

LYNCHBURG, Va. (WSET) — It's been a hot summer, so many people go to the local lakes and rivers to cool off.

The Colemans, for example, love spending time outside.

They enjoy fishing in the Dan River in Danville, but James Coleman said they stay out of the water.

"I don't trust it. I’m going to be honest with you, I don't trust it," Coleman said.

The Finnegan family also enjoys the water. ABC13 met them at Hollins Mill Park in Lynchburg.

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Lisa Finnegan said she too is careful about letting her kids play in the water.

“It's absolutely concerning and it's red flags to me when I hear the water quality could be an issue in the area I'm visiting with my children," Finnegan said.

So, ABC13 wanted to find out. How clean are some of the local bodies of water?

We got sample containers from five sites in the area and returned them to Doctor Thomas Shahady, with the University of Lynchburg, for testing.

A few days later he gave us the results.

“What we've found is varying levels of bacteria contamination," Shahady said.

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He tested for bacteria like E. Coli and feces. Shahady said higher levels of bacteria come from things like animal waste and pollution runoff.

The Dan River at Angler Park had the highest levels of bacteria, Shahady said.

Virginia state standards are 245 colony forming units per sample. The Dan River was at 218 units.

Shahady said even though the levels meet state standards, he would not swim or boat in that water.

“So, if you get in that water you, your dog, or anything you can get sick," Shahady said.

While the probability of getting sick may not be high in that circumstance, some of the symptoms could be upset stomach, diarrhea, or even gastrointestinal problems.

We also tested Hollins Mill Park’s water in Lynchburg. The bacteria count was not as high, but still over 100.

"It's still elevated bacteria levels," Shahady said. "Do you want to be in water with elevated bacteria levels?”

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We also tested the James River, by the boat ramp in Amherst, which reported very low levels of bacteria.

Things were good in the water at Monacan Park in Madison Heights as well.

However, Shahady points out that bacteria levels are constantly changing. That means while the testing ABC13 did for the investigation may be good, testing today could be a whole different story.

Smith Mountain Lake is a good example of that. When we tested the water there, levels were well below state standards. However, three other times this year, they exceeded levels the state qualifies as acceptable.

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Tom Hardy, with the Lake's Association, said when this happens, they send out information to news organizations and post it on social media warning people to stay out of the water.

ABC13's Melissa Schroeder asked him, "Is that concerning to you?"

"I wouldn't say concerning. It's to be expected," Hardy said. "In fact, you could probably go to a pristine lake in the mountains and you would never know there was bacteria in that lake because there isn't an organization sampling for bacteria in those lakes.”

Hardy said the higher levels happen when there's a large amount of rainfall. That rainfall contributes to more waste running off into the lake and higher bacteria levels, Hardy said.

“Swimming in any lake after a heavy rainfall carries some risk and you'd be better off waiting for a couple days before going back in the water." Hardy said.

One tip from Hardy that's pretty easy to follow:

• If you can see your feet, it's probably safe to get into the water. If you can't, you might not want to go into the water that day.
  

"When it's colored brown those levels go through the roof. They become extremely concerning," Shahady said.

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Other things to consider before heading to the lake or river:

Check local websites and Facebook pages for recent water quality reports.

There are also programs in place to help keep everything cleaner.

Robert Campbell, with the James River Association, said they've been working hard to make the river a safe place to swim and boat.

“Lynchburg is really leading the way. There's a lot of other cities around the state looking at Lynchburg and what we have done in that aspect." Campbell said.

Campbell said construction going on in Downtown Lynchburg updating sewer systems is already helping with water quality.

The organization also works with farmers to create a buffer between cattle and the river.

"Basically, we're just trying to get those animals out of the creeks," Campbell said.

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There are other things people can do to protect local bodies of water.

• Keep your home's septic system maintained
• Clear out gutters
• Stay away from wildlife

"They're like the guests from hell. Because after you feed them, they tend to repay you by using your yard as a bathroom," Hardy said.

Hardy said that waste can then run off into the water during a storm and lead to high bacteria levels.

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The James River Association has a great website to help you find out about water quality. It uses a red light system. You can go HEREfor that information.

You can also follow the Smith Mountain Lake Association on Facebookfor updated information on water quality.

Smith Mountain Lake is also asking for people to report algae blooms. If you would like to help with that program, click HERE.