Traces of E. coli has been found in almost every site tested by two farm groups, Warren Lutz reports, exceeding levels considered safe at more than half the sites tested and in some cases reached eight times levels considered safe.
The farm groups paid for the tests as part of a state program. If farm groups regulate the water that runs off of their properties, then they avoid paying for expensive waste-discharge permits. The program also cuts pesticide levels in rivers and streams that can come from rain or excess irrigation washing those products, as well as fecal matter, off of farms and into the water supply.
A new study is being prepared to find out from where the bacteria are coming.