Research questions role of poultry plants in stormwater contamination

University of Georgia and Georgia Tech Research Institute scientists have found that the contribution of poultry processing plants to stream bacterial load may be overestimated. The research aimed to identify and quantify the level of preexisting background indicator organisms under dry conditions in watersheds impacted by poultry processing facilities in urban heavy industrial, suburban light commercial, and rural settings. Investigators determined the typical level of bacterial contamination found in surface water upstream from the site of a poultry processing plant. They found significant levels of coliform bacteria in streams prior to any stormwater runoff from poultry processing plants.