World Harbour Project water sample data

This project assessed sewage contamination using human fecal indicators detected by molecular methods. For harbour and coastal water samples obtained from 18 cities across five continents (<i>n</i>=442), nearly half had evidence of sewage contamination using human fecal bacteria as molecular indicators. In contrast, traditional measures using cultured <i>E. coli</i> or enterococci, were elevated in ~18% of the samples, with less than half confirmed for sewage contamination. Importantly, given the human health risk, loss of ecosystem services, and economic costs associated with contaminated coastal waters, more reliable methods are needed for quantifying sewage contamination in urban waterways.