We all need to do our part to keep bacterial pollution out of our rivers. Not only does it harm aquatic life and impact the function of river ecosystems, it also threatens the waters where we swim, fish, and harvest clams. The main offenders:
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Pet and livestock waste, left anywhere in the watershed
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Bird and wild animal droppings
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Leaky pipes connecting homes to the public sewer system
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Unserviced tanks and drainfields of private septic systems
The Ogunquit River is and Riverside Beach are both currently classified as "Impaired" by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, due to persistently high levels of fecal bacteria. The Maine Healthy Beaches Program monitors bacterial levels at the town beaches, two of which are directly impacted by water from the Ogunquit River estuary: Riverside Beach and Little Beach. You can find information on testing and water quality advisories during the months of June-August on the Maine Healthy Beaches site. FB Environmental Associates also conducts testing for the town of Ogunquit and issues a yearly report on water quality in the Ogunquit River and its tributaries.
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