As pathogen contamination is a lead

As pathogen contamination is a leading cause of surface water impairment, there has been
increasing interest in the implications of seasonal disinfection practices of wastewater
effluents for meeting water quality goals. For receiving waters designated for recreational
use, disinfection during the winter months is often considered unnecessary due to reduced
recreational usage, and assumptions that lower temperatures may reduce pathogen
accumulation. For a river subject to seasonal disinfection, we sought to evaluate whether
fecal coliforms accumulate during the winter to concentrations that would impair river
water quality