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Riverkeeper declares Walkill River unsafe for swimming
William J. Kemble is reporting in the Daily Freeman bacterial contamination has rendered the entire Walkill River unsafe for swimming, according to a new report by Riverkeeper. The environmental watchdog group released the information this week, based on monitoring of the river in 2016 for fecal-indicator bacteria enterococcus. Eighty-seven percent of the samples taken from the Wallkill watershed failed to meet environmental protection guidelines for safe swimming or any other activity where ingestion of water or full body contact is likely, the report stated. Riverkeeper said the cause of the contamination include discharges from sewer overflows, inadequate sewage treatment and septic system failures. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.