New test finds Panther Island water safe for recreation

It’s safe to go back in the water at Panther Island.

A sample of Trinity River water taken earlier in the week found an unsafe level of E. coli bacteria around the entertainment area on the north edge of downtown Fort Worth.

Organizers of the summer Rockin’ the River tubing and music series had to tell people to stay out of the water at Thursday night’s event.

But on Friday, new tests found that the water is safe for recreational activities, said Woody Frossard, environmental director for the Tarrant Regional Water District.

“There is no reason to have any restriction on any of the recreation planned for this weekend,” Frossard said Friday night. “The data say the Trinity River is fine.”

The alarming samples indicated that the water surrounding Panther Island had 1,700 E. coli organisms per 100 milliliters of water. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality standard is 399 E. coli organisms per 100 milliliters.

The new samples registered 5.2 E. coli organisms per 100 milliliters, which is safe, Frossard said.

“One possibility is that someone dumped something in the river that has since dissipated,” Frossard said. “Or we had bad data.”

Sunday Funday, a day of family-friendly tubing, kayaking, canoeing and boating at Panther Island, will continue as scheduled, said Matt Oliver, a spokesman for the Trinity River Vision Authority, which runs Panther Island.

This story was originally published August 7, 2015 at 9:55 PM with the headline "New test finds Panther Island water safe for recreation."