Fighting fecal bacteria is tough task

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Wednesday night the city of Austin is hosting a public forum to get input from the community on how to reduce bacteria in four different creeks.

Watershed Protection Department officials said Walnut Creek, Waller Creek, Taylor Slough and Spicewood Tributary of Shoal Creek do not meet contact recreation standards because of bacterial contamination.

"We've purposely withheld them from coming out here for the longest, but they get sort of anxious. They want to go. They want to get out here,” said David Butts, a pet owner who goes to Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park in North Austin. "When we get them home, we'll wash them off a little bit -- take a hose and hose them down. And we definitely try to keep them from wading into the water."

The city and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality will let people know about the streams and how to improve the water quality.

Chris Herrington, an engineer with the department, said leaking sewage from old infrastructure, pet waste, wildlife and even the homeless have contributed to these high numbers.

"Well, the one thing everyone can do is pick up the dog poop,” explained Butts.

While he’s out walking his dogs Zoey, Ziggy and Annabel, he’ll go around and pick other dog waste, too, he said.

City officials said little measures like that will help with keeping contamination levels low.

Even though there’s not an immediate health risk, Herrington said people should still use common sense and not swim nor let their pets in the water.

The meeting is Wednesday 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the One Texas Center Building at 505 Barton Springs Road.