The Lenawee County Health Department is pleased to announce that starting this month, the Environmental Health staff will begin collecting water samples from two public beaches in Lenawee County. Weekly samples will be collected from the public beaches at Hayes State Park and the Lake Hudson Recreation Area.
“We are very excited to begin offering this additional service to the public,” states Monica Hunt, Lenawee County Health Officer. “These two beaches are popular recreation areas within the county. This is another way we can keep the public advised of water quality so they can make the best decisions for themselves and their family regarding swimming.”
To protect public health and to prevent the spread of disease, the samples will be analyzed for E. coli bacteria levels. The Michigan Public Health Code sets limits for levels of bacteria in all bodies of water, including bathing beaches open to the public. If the levels detected during monitoring exceed these limits, the risk of illness increases.
“We will issue a health advisory if testing shows that bacteria levels are higher than the state safety standard,” explains Hunt. “We will be posting signs at the beach and posting the information on our website if an advisory is issued. That way, you can check the website before you head to the beach. We will not be issuing press releases each time an advisory is issued.”
Public Beach advisories issued by the Lenawee County Health Department will be posted at lenawee.mi.us/beach. For more information about this program, please contact the Lenawee County Health Department at 517-264-5213 or ehdesk@lenawee.mi.us.