Health and environmental officials in Ohio’s coastal counties continue to refine their methods for monitoring bacteria in the water at Lake Erie beaches.
County health departments use federal grant money to pay for tests that measure how much E. coli bacteria is present in the water near beaches.
“People come to the waters to recreate there, whether it be swimming, kayaking, and we monitor the waters to make sure people are safe,” said Jill Lis, director of environmental health for the Lorain County Health Department.
E. coli bacteria exists in the intestinal tracts of humans and warm blooded animals. The health departments along the lake test for that bacteria because it is a potential indicator of sewage contamination, Lis said.
High levels of bacteria may affect people who are not in the best of health. Babies, older people and those with compromised immune systems are the most vulnerable, Lis said.
The bacteria could cause gastrointenstinal distress such as nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.
People also could develop upper respiratory problems or infections of wounds to the skin, Lis said.
“Taking a mouthful of that water can make you ill, especially for small kids in the way they play” said Laura Kuns, supervisor of liquid and solid waste at the Lake County General Health District. She stressed that people should take the no-swimming advisories seriously.
Rainfall is one of the biggest factors influencing water quality, Lis said.
Heavy rains wash bacteria, dirt or other items from the surface of the ground into Ohio creeks and rivers that flow into Lake Erie.
If the weather is dry, windy and wavy conditions also can kick up sediment from the bottom of the lake that clouds the water, Lis said.
A county health worker collects water samples four days a week at the beaches of Lakeview Park and Century Park in Lorain and at Lakewood Beach and Community Park Beach in Sheffield Lake, although some Ohio beaches have water testing seven days a week, Lis said.
If the bacteria count is high, park managers like Phillip Vichosky are in charge of posting no swimming advisory signs, but he’s not hearing many things about pollution so far this year.
Vichosky manages Headlands Beach State Park in Mentor and Geneva State Park in Geneva Township, two of many public beaches along Lake Erie that local health officials are monitoring for E. coli and harmful algal blooms.
As of July 22, Headlands and Fairport Harbor Lakefront Park each recorded nine postings of advisory levels because of unsafe E. coli levels. Kuns said that is “not abnormal” for a year to date.
“The biggest beach issue here is the cold water,” Vichosky said, alluding to Lake Erie’s prolonged period of being frozen this year. “It was cold water, but it was cold, clean water.”
The health officials do not have an instantaneous test for bacteria, so the water samples sit in a laboratory overnight to produce results, Lis said. However, water conditions at beaches can change overnight due to storms or weather conditions, she said.
In hopes of providing daily advisories about water quality, Ohio health agencies have turned to predictive modeling, Lis said. The method uses historical data and computer programs to make an informed prediction about whether bacteria counts will be high on a given day, she said.
Results are posted daily through Ohio Nowcast.
Computer models and bacteria tests aside, Lis said people should use common sense to stay healthy.
It’s best to stay out of Lake Erie for up to 48 hours after heavy rains to let surface runoff and streams drain and settle in the lake, Lis said. If the water looks or smells bad, don’t touch it, whether it’s Lake Erie or other lakes or ponds, she added.
“You can’t see it. You can’t tell by looking at the water whether the bacteria levels are high or low on any given day,” Lis said. “It’s not disinfected or chlorinated like a swimming pool would be. People need to remember that.”