No swimming advisory lifted at Oval Beach
SAUGATUCK, Mich. (WOOD) — A no swimming advisory at Oval Beach has been lifted, officials said Friday evening.
Water testing conducted on Thursday showed acceptable levels of E. coli in the water, the Allegan County Health Department told News 8. The results came back Friday evening.
Earlier Friday, signs warned people not to swim at Oval Beach Friday after routine testing from the health department found high levels of E. coli in the water there earlier this week.
Despite the oppressive heat and water warning, the beach remained busy Friday morning. For Caitlin Welsh, who was in town to celebrate her bachelorette party, the health risk simply meant her crew would spend more time out of the water than planned.
“At least today, we’re here doing a beach day and then we’re going to hit some dune buggies later this afternoon,” her friend Kelly Carlson said.
No swimming advisory issued for Oval Beach
The no-swimming advisory said the high bacteria levels were caused by nearby runoff. Oval Beach was last closed in July 2021 for a similar problem related to stormwater runoff.
“E. coli is always present in natural bodies of water,” said Randy Rapp, the environmental health services manager at Allegan County Health Department. “We’re looking for levels that are higher than what we should see.”
“I usually play it pretty safe anyways. So I’m not too worried about that,” beachgoer Kevin Vahle, who was in town visiting friends, said. “We heard about (the advisory), but we’re just like, ‘Hey, we’ll go and hang out and relax a little bit.’”
What happens if E. coli is found in the water at your favorite beach?
The Michigan Public Health Code set the water quality standard for E. coli at 300 bacteria per 100 milliliters on any daily reading and 130 bacteria per 100 ml over a 30-day average. The three tests done earlier this year all came in well below 130. The test on June 12 registered an average of 12.1, but the test completed on June 17 was approximately 2,400. The test conducted on Thursday showed a geometric mean of 58.22, according to the health department.
—News 8’s Matt Jaworowski contributed to this report.
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