Section 319
NONPOINT SOURCE PROGRAM SUCCESS STORY
Area Residents Keep Shelburne Beach Open
Unnamed Tributary to Shelburne Beach, VT
Watprhnrlv Imnrnvpd Bacteria leaking from residential septic systems caused
exceedances of Vermont's E. coli criteria in a tributary to
Shelburne Beach, resulting in occasional beach closures. As a result, Vermont placed
the one-mile unnamed tributary on its section 303(d) list for E. coli in 1998. The Town
of Shelburne identified the potential source of the bacteria, prompting improvements to
a number of residential septic systems along the stream. Subsequent monitoring data
showed that the stream and beach consistently met water quality standards, and the tribu-
tary was removed from the state's 303(d) list in 2004.
Problem
Shelburne Beach is a town swimming beach
on a central portion of Lake Champlain in the
town of Shelburne, Vermont. The state has
classified the beach and the unnamed tribu-
tary to the beach as class B waters—a desig-
nation defined as "suitable for bathing and
recreation, irrigation and agricultural uses;
good fish habitat; good aesthetic value;
acceptable for public water supply with
filtration and disinfection."
The town monitors E. coli levels at the beach,
including at a station at the mouth of the tribu-
tary, about 20 times a year during the swim-
ming season, to check for compliance with
Vermont's E. coli criteria. The criteria are 77
colony-forming units (cfu) per 100 milliliters for
Class B waters. Among other purposes, the
E. coli standard is designed to protect human
health by preventing exposure to harmful
levels of pathogens. Monitoring results for
a number of years in the mid- to late 1990s
indicated occasional exceedances of the E.
coli standard at the monitoring station at the
tributary mouth, causing occasional closures
of the beach. The high E. coli counts resulted
in the state's adding the unnamed tributary to
the303(d)listin 1998.
Coordinated efforts by area residents to
control bacteria levels permit the con-
tinual enjoyment of Shelburne Beach
Project Highlights
In 1997 the town commissioned a study to
find the source of the bacteria in the tributary,
and the study identified six residential septic
systems along the stream as the most likely
source. Based on the findings of the study,
the town encouraged the homeowners of
concern to correct the deficiencies in their
septic systems. Between 1998 and 2001, all six
homeowners rebuilt their systems by installing
new tanks and leach fields.
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Results
The data summarized in Table 1 show that
the E. co/i standard was exceeded occasion-
ally during the years 1996 to 1999. Although
data are not available for 2000 and 2001,
the data for 2002 and 2003 (following septic
system improvements) show that the Vermont
water quality standards for/:, co//were met
100 percent of the time during those years.
Accordingly, the state removed the tributary
from the 303(d) list in 2004.
Partners and Funding
The restoration work in this case was funded
by the Shelburne homeowners, who together
spent approximately $90,000 to rebuild
their on-site septic systems. The Town of
Shelburne supported this work with seasonal
bacteria monitoring and funding for the study
that identified the bacteria source. Vermont
Department of Environmental Conservation
staff, funded with section 319 funds, provided
some technical assistance to the town during
the source-tracking phase.
Table 1. Summary of E. coli data at the mouth of the southern tributary to Shelburne Beach
Year
1996
1997
1998
1999
2002
2003
Number of samples
taken throughout the
season
31
28
26
16
21
21
Number of samples that exceeded
Vermont's £ coli criterion of
77CFU/100mL
1
3
3
1
0
0
Average £ coli count for
samples that exceeded
criterion(CFU/100mL)
240
197
3,033
130
—
-
Number of days
beach was closed to
swimming
1
1
4
0
0
0
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Off ice of Water
Washington, DC
EPA841-F-07-001G
June 2007
For additional information contact:
Eric Perkins
EPA Region 1
617-918-1602 • perkins.eric@epa.gov
Bernard T. Gagnon
Director of Public Works
802-316-1320
Susan Craig
Shelburne Parks and Recreation
802-985-9551
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