The water quality at area beaches has been improving. The St. Clair County Health Department monitored water quality at eight area beaches in 2019 located on Lake Huron and the St. Clair River. The beaches were monitored over a 14-week stretch from Memorial Day to Labor Day. During that time frame, beaches were only closed for three days, making it one of St. Clair County’s healthiest beach seasons on record.
Improved water quality has been made possible by reducing pathogen sources through sewer separation projects, elimination of illicit discharges, and installation of green infrastructure along the 58-mile county shoreline. The Health Department entered data into the Michigan Beach Guard website showing real-time information on beach closures. The department plans on analyzing water quality samples that were collected over the summer to track the bacterial contamination’s source. The organization also plans to continue the monitoring program in the future.
Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.
