Beach Water Quality Monitoring To Begin

The St. Clair County Health Department’s (SCCHD) water quality beach monitoring program kicks-off May 24, 2019 just in time for Memorial Day weekend. The SCCHD tests for E. coli bacteria weekly from Memorial Day to Labor Day at eight public beaches along Lake Huron and the St. Clair River.  colibacteria, found in the digestive systems of warm blooded animals, including humans, can indicate the presence of viruses and pathogens that can make us sick. Water naturally contains microorganisms regardless of how clean or clear the water look. Beaches may close after a heavy rainfall or strong wind storm because bacteria are washed into waterways or stirred up from waves. A beach is closed wheneverE. coliwater quality standards are exceeded.  Beach monitoring results are posted on our 24-hour Water Quality Hotline at 877-504-SWIM, “St. Clair County Beaches” Facebook page, the BeachGuard website at www.deq.state.mi.us/beach, and the “MyBeachCast” smartphone app. For more information, visithttp://www.stclaircounty.org/Offices/health/bathing.aspx