Water Quality in the Virgin Islands
US Environmental Protection Agency. 1973. Water Quality in the Virgin Islands. US Environmental Protection Agency Region II Surveillance and Analysis Division. Edison, NJ
Results of water quality analysis in the Virgin Islands. Includes tables of data - water temperature, dissolved oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorous, coliform. Maps between pages 4 & 5 shows the locations of sampling stations on the coasts of St. John & Buck Island. 1. The municipal dump in St. Thomas causes severe violations of standards for floating solids, dissolved oxygen, and fecal coliform bacteria. 2. Waters adjacent to municipal-industrial complexes are in the early stages of degradation. Although not severe, bacterial contamination is widespread in Charlotte Amalie and Christiansted Harbors. Water quality adjacent to the industrial complex on the south shore of St. Croix is good. 3. Outside areas of municipal and industrial development, coastal waters of the U. S. Virgin Islands exhibit good quality. 4. At 67 of 138 sampling locations background organisms were encountered which may have interfered with fecal coliform analysis by the membrane filter procedure. Since fecal coliform levels are generally low and interference was observed at a large number of locations, it is possible that fecal coliform analysis by the membrane filter procedure may not be a completely reliable indicator of fecal contamination in Virgin Islands waters. However, much further study would be required to reach final conclusions regarding this matter.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- US Environmental Protection Agency
- Date of Issue
- 1973-05
- Publisher
- US Environmental Protection Agency Region II Surveillance and Analysis Division
- Units
- BUIS , VIIS
- Keywords
- Aquatic Sciences, Buck Island, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Fecal Coliform, Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), St. Croix, St. John, US Virgin Islands, US Virgin Islands, Water Quality, Water Temperature