Fecal Indicator Bacteria (FIB) Data Summary Dashboard

The Fecal Indicator Bacteria (FIB) Data Summary Dashboard can be used to visualize and download FIB water quality data collected in the San Diego Region.

Disclaimer: This map is intended for informational purposes only and should not be used as the sole basis for making decisions about water contact activities. Always follow local advisories and guidelines when engaging in recreational activities in natural water bodies. The data can change at any time and should not be used for any particular purpose other than general reference.

In addition, the statuses provided are approximations of how the Statewide Bacteria Water Quality Objectives are applied; we do not recommend using these statuses directly for regulatory or legal purposes. Assessments of water quality for regulatory purposes should be conducted on a case-by-case basis from the original data by up-to-date standards, which is available for download on BeachWatch and the California Environmental Data Exchange Network (CEDEN). Assessments of recreational beach and bay water quality for public health can be found on the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health and Quality (DEHQ) Beach and Bay Water Quality Monitoring program website.

How to Use

Filters: Dashboard filters will filter all data on the dashboard (map, graph, and table).

Map: Selecting one or more locations on the map will also filter the graph and table for selected stations. If you’d like to select multiple points in an area, you can click on the map, and a toolbar will appear on the left of the map. Select the triangle at the bottom of the toolbar and you will see options for how to use the mouse (the shapes with the dotted lines will allow you to make a selection of points according to that shape).
To "unselect" datapoints, click on a blank space in the map (like the ocean). It may take a few seconds for all of the points to reappear. 

Graph: The graph is provided to see sample results over time. Hover your mouse over the point to see sample information, or select points of interest.

Summary Table: The summary table displays results for culture-based (units of MPN/100 mL or CFU/100 mL) and ddPCR (units of copies/100 mL) samples for each monitoring station.

Data Download: After you have filtered your data, you can download the data by selecting the download image (rectangle with downward arrow button) on the bottom right-hand corner of the window. This will allow you to download data in multiple formats. Downloading as a Crosstab allows you to save as either an Excel or CSV file. You can then select the visual from which you would like the data downloaded (e.g., Summary Table). To select one or more stations from any of the visuals, hover the mouse until a pop-up appears, and select the View Data icon (table image in the right-hand corner of the pop up). A pop-up window will appear that provides both Summary and Full Data options for download.

Data Information

Water Quality and Health:
Poor water quality can pose health risks to recreators engaging in water contact activities such as swimming, surfing, and wading. Exposure to contaminated water can lead to a variety of illnesses, including gastrointestinal infections, skin rashes, and respiratory issues. Vulnerable populations, including children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems, are at greater risk.

• What type of data is used?
• The dashboard uses data collected by local governments and public health agencies, environmental organizations, and other partners. This includes data from "Ambient" surface waters (i.e., beaches, creeks, rivers), "Non-Ambient" water (i.e., stormwater outfall, urban runoff); or "Other" (typically associated with regional and/or offshore monitoring).
• What kind of activities are considered recreational?
• Recreational activities refer to water contact recreation, as defined by the REC-1 beneficial use category. This includes swimming, surfing, wading, boating, fishing, and other water sports. These activities often involve direct contact with the water and may lead to accidental ingestion, which can increase the risk of exposure to harmful bacteria and pathogens.
• What are "indicator bacteria"?
• On this dashboard, "indicator bacteria" refers to bacteria used to assess the quality of recreational waters. These bacteria are not necessarily harmful themselves, but their presence suggests that the water may be contaminated with potentially harmful pathogens. Such pathogens can cause gastrointestinal illness and other infections when people come in contact with or accidentally ingest contaminated water. Common fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) include E. coli and Enterococcus, which are found in the intestines of warm-blooded animals. This map uses FIB data to help evaluate water quality and potential health risks for recreational activities.

Data Sources:
FIB data is sourced from the California Environmental Data Exchange Network (CEDEN) and the Beach Watch program, with results available on the State Water Resources Control Board website. Combined FIB data from both CEDEN and Beach Watch programs are available on the California Open Data Portal. Data is uploaded by the responsible agencies and data is presented as-is. Due to the presence of duplicate, replicate, missing, or invalid records, a subset of the data has been excluded and is publicly accessible on the California Open Data Portal. Methodology supporting the exclusion of records follows the State Water Resources Control Board's Safe to Swim Map, and is publicly available here: Processing FIB data for the Safe to Swim map. 

Sample Date:
Time periods available for each analyte are as follows: Enterococcus, culture-based (1997-present); Enterococcus, ddPCR (2017-present); E. Coli (1998-present); Fecal Coliform (1985-present); Total Coliform (1985-present).

Sample Collection Information (Station Category, Project):
FIB samples may be collected under requirements of a permit or regulation (e.g., AB411), as part of a source-tracking study, or opportunistically. As a result, the number of samples will vary for each sample location. As described above, the "Station Category" field indicates the following types of samples: Ambient (i.e., beach, creek, river); Non-Ambient (i.e., stormwater outfall, urban runoff); Other (typically associated with regional and/or offshore monitoring).

Samples may be collected from the same location under multiple projects (e.g., Beach Watch, source tracking studies, total maximum daily load (TMDL) programs, etc.). Filtering by Project will display only the data associated with that project. To see all data associated with a station, it is not recommended to use the Project filter. 

Sample Results (Method, Analyte, Units, and Results):
Samples are analyzed for Enterococcus, Escherichia coli (E.coli), Total Coliform, Fecal Coliform, or a combination of these analytes. For the most recent FIB criteria, please refer to the SWRCB Bacteria Objectives webpage and Tables 1-3 presented below.

As described above, data is uploaded by the responsible agencies and data is presented as-is. However, due to the presence of duplicate, replicate, missing, or invalid records, a subset of the data has been excluded. In some cases where samples were reported as "Non-Detect" (ND), one-half of the Method Detection Limit (MDL) value was substituted as a conservative measure for calculation purposes. Numeric results are presented as-is. Please refer to the Processing FIB data for the Safe to Swim map methodology, or contact Kate.Becker@waterboards.ca.gov for additional details.

The 6-week Geometric Mean (GM) is calculated for culture-based samples only and presented on the graph. GM calculations are only performed if a minimum of five samples were collected during the 6-week period.

Table 1: REC-1 Bacteria Water Quality Objectives (Part 3 of the Water Quality Control Plan for Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries of California)

Table 2. Fecal Coliform REC-1 Water Quality Objective for Water-Contact in Ocean Waters (Ocean Plan, 2019)

Table 3. Enterococci REC-1 Water Quality Objective for Water-Contact in Ocean Waters (Ocean Plan, 2019)

*See 2019 Ocean Plan, Appendix I for definition of terms

In May 2022, the County of San Diego Department of Environmental Health and Quality (DEHQ) became approved to use the droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) method as a rapid assessment tool to measure Enterococcus. Results from the ddPCR analyses are reported as copies/100 mL and are presented separately from traditional culture-based results (which are reported in CFU/100 mL or MPN/100 mL). The California Regional Water Quality Control Board – San Diego Region (San Diego Water Board) does not currently have a water-quality objective for Enterococcus ddPCR results. However, the California Department of Public Health developed for San Diego County a standard threshold value of 1,413 copies/100 mL in equivalence with the state culture-based threshold of 104 CFU/100 mL. When samples exceed this standard threshold value of 1,413 copies/100 mL Enterococcus, DEHQ will issue Bacterial Exceedance Advisories under the Beach and Bay Water Quality Monitoring program. For more information, please refer to the www.sdbeachinfo.com and testing methods comparison summary.

Results Summary Table Calculations:

• Culture-Based Median Result (MPN/100 mL or CFU/100 mL): Calculates the median result of all culture-based samples under the selected conditions.
• Sample Count (Culture-Based): Calculates the total number of culture-based samples collected under the selected conditions.
• ddPCR Median Result (copies/100 mL): Calculates the median result of all ddPCR samples collected under the selected conditions.
• Sample Count (ddPCR): Calculates the total number of ddPCR samples collected under the selected conditions.