S.C. SELECT
A Bacteria Load Estimation Tool for South Carolina Watersheds
About the Tool
S.C. SELECT is a GIS-based tool that can be used to identify potential bacteria sources and estimate bacteria loading rates at the HUC-12 watershed scale in South Carolina. S.C. SELECT can be used to improve the accuracy of watershed plans, which aim to protect and restore water quality.
Using the SELECT Tool
Instructions and more information on data availability can be accessed directly within the tool.
SELECT Tool
SELECT Tutorial
Bacteria Pollution in Waterways
Bacteria pollution is the most common water quality impairment in South Carolina water bodies. Coliforms are bacteria present in the guts of warm-blooded animals and humans. A subgroup of Coliform bacteria called Escherichia coli (E. coli) is used as an indicator for pathogens from fecal contamination. Water pollution caused by fecal contamination is a serious problem due to the potential for contracting diseases from pathogens.
Sources of Fecal Bacteria
The primary sources of fecal bacteria across South Carolina’s water bodies include wildlife, livestock, pets, and humans. Fecal bacteria from humans can enter water bodies when discharged from wastewater treatment plants, and from poorly functioning and failing septic systems (also known as onsite wastewater treatment systems). The S.C. SELECT tool can be used to estimate bacteria loads from the following sources:
- Wildlife—deer, hogs.
- Livestock—cattle, horses, sheep, goats, chicken.
- Pet—dogs, cats.
- Human—wastewater treatment plants, septic systems.
Watershed Planning
Watershed-based plans provide a framework for protecting and restoring water quality. Watershed-based plan development focuses on assessing all sources of pollution in a watershed, determining pollution loading rates, and calculating load reductions needed to meet state water quality standards. The S.C. SELECT tool can inform the load and load reduction calculations needed to develop and implement a watershed-based plan.
Guidance for developing a watershed-based plan can be found in the U.S. Environmental protection Agency (EPA)’s Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our Waters. Existing South Carolina watershed-based plans can be found on the S.C. Department of Environmental Services (SCDES)’s Grant Funded Watershed Plans.
Project Partners
College of Charleston Lowcountry Hazards Center, Clemson University.
Collaborative Team
Shu-Mei Huang, Landon Knapp, S.C. Sea Grant Consortium/College of Charleston.
Dr. Norman Levine, College of Charleston.
Brooke Saari, S.C. Sea Grant Consortium.
Amy Scaroni, Ph.D., Raghupathy Karthikeyan, Ph.D., Clemson University.
More Information
S.C. SELECT is modeled after a successful application in Texas, TX.SELECT. SELECT stands for Spatially Explicit Load Enrichment Calculation Tool, and is designed to identify and estimate potential pathogen loads resulting from various fecal sources in watersheds.
Funding awarded from: South Carolina Water Resources Center at Clemson University (USGS 104b/NIWR State Water Resources Research Institute Program).
Start date: Fall 2022.
Contact
For questions about GIS tool use or water quality, please contact Shu-Mei Huang or Brooke Saari respectively at the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium.