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07/11/2007
Advisory warns of E. coliTRAVERSE CITY — James Kenney and Alline Work just slipped their feet into West Bay when the rain started to fall. They scampered back to their car unaware of a sign posted by the West End Beach bathhouse that cautioned swimmers of dangerous E. coli levels. "Really?” Work, a Traverse City resident, said when she found out about the E. coli warning. "... That sucks.” The Grand Traverse County Health Department issued a swim advisory warning bathers of higher-than-recommended E. coli levels at two Traverse City beaches. Samples taken Monday at East Bay Park Beach and West End Park Beach showed elevated readings, an indicator that other potentially harmful bacteria is present. The two beaches were not closed, but beach-goers were advised to avoid water contact and skip wading and swimming. The caution notices are the first to be posted this season and come in the midst of the National Cherry Festival. High E. coli levels likely can be attributed to recent rain, said Bob Cole, city public services director. City Manager Richard Lewis said there have been no "upsets” at the wastewater treatment plant. "This is the first time that we've had rain, and it is somewhat predictable that the E. coli is going to go up ... because everything washes up,” said Thomas Buss of the health department. The two beaches were tested again Tuesday. Monitoring and advisories posted at the beaches will continue until tests show bacteria levels are safe. Exposure to the water could lead to health concerns such as gastrointestinal illness and eye or ear infections, Buss said. Other waterfront spots in Traverse City passed the sampling tests, among them Bryant Park, Clinch Park and Traverse City State Park. Some swimmers a mere 200 yards from the affected waters thought the city should have done more to inform all beach-goers on West End Beach of the E. coli, even if they weren't swimming in the contaminated area. "I'm a little upset,” said John Woodend, who had been at the beach with his family for about two hours. "They're up here writing parking tickets when their focus should be more on our health.” Buss called it "unfortunate” that the high readings occurred during the Cherry Festival, but said area beaches are generally of "good quality.” City beaches closed for a time during the 2005 festival after a sewer line burst and dumped raw sewage into the Boardman River.
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