Last Updated: Friday, June 1, 2007 2:18 PM CDT
Is your lake safe to swim in?
The Oneida County Health Department will begin their beach testing program, June 4 running through August 27. This year the Health Department will be testing four beaches - Torpy Park in Minocqua, Maple Lake in Three Lakes, Rhinelander Flowage in Hodag Park, and Buck Lake in Town of Pelican. This program is made possible through a cooperative effort between a University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh faculty-student research team and the Oneida County Health Department.
The goal of the health department is to ensure that public beaches are safe for swimming and to notify the public of unsafe waters. This project is intended to reduce the risk of infection to recreational water users. The common illness associated with high levels of Escherichia coli (E. coli) are gastroenteritis types of illnesses which can cause diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, headache, low grade fever, skin rashes, and earaches.
People can help to protect the beach environment by keeping beaches clean: Pick up after pets, change children's diapers often and dispose of them properly, do not feed geese in swimming/beach areas, make sure septic systems are in good working condition, and avoid drinking lake water. Beaches most often become contaminated after heavy rainstorms when sewage, pesticides, and animal waste are swept into the lakes.
If laboratory analysis indicates that any sample or mean is above the standards, an advisory will be posted warning swimmers of the increased risk or the beach may be closed under Wisconsin State Statue 245.59. For more information on beach testing, call the Oneida County Health Department at 369-6111.
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