OneAquaHealth · Five cities
A map of urban streams where faecal scores look fine — and resistance-gene risk does not.
All 96 sites
ARG risk does not track faecal risk in this dataset.
Dark points are flagged sites. Click a point to select it on the map.
Low faecal, high ARGfaecal in the lowest quarter, ARG in the highest quarter
What the data shows
ARG risk does not track faecal risk in this dataset.
95% CI −0.25 to +0.18
Across the 96 sites, the relationship between ARG and faecal risk is effectively absent in this dataset. This means faecal indicators cannot be used as a reliable screen for ARG risk.
8 / 96
sites flagged
Illustrations of screening patterns in this dataset, not a prevalence estimate.
Individual hazards need to be read separately.
A composite score combines pathogen, faecal and ARG signals into one number. When those signals differ substantially, the composite can make an individual hazard less visible.
Pathogen + faecal + ARG
↓
Composite
Combining signals is not inherently wrong — it summarises different hazards in one score.
Where should we look next?
The flagged sites are screening candidates for direct ARG measurement. The data do not support using faecal indicators, land cover or infrastructure as a substitute for measuring ARG directly.
Questions you might have
A few terms you'll see throughout Undercurrent, explained simply.
Common keywords
Still wondering?
The composite combines multiple hazard signals into one number. When those signals differ substantially, an individual hazard can become less visible in the average. The composite is not inherently wrong — it simply tells a different story from looking at each hazard separately.
Not in this dataset. ARG and faecal risk show essentially no relationship here, which is why faecal indicators cannot be treated as a reliable screen for ARG risk.
A flagged site is a candidate for direct ARG measurement or further investigation. The screening signal helps indicate where to look next; it does not replace direct measurement or establish that a site is hazardous.
Still curious?
Want the numbers, methods and assumptions behind the story?
96 urban stream sites across 5 cities. One sampling date per site (May to September 2023, one site in 2024). Scores are compared within cities.
Each site has four rank scores — Composite, Pathogen, Faecal, ARG. Use the map control to switch which hazard colors the markers.
Marker color reflects the active hazard. Click a site to inspect all four scores, any flag, and nearby OpenStreetMap features at 250–1000 m. The scatter plot links to the same selection on the map.