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Bathing Beach Water Quality Monitoring Program
Why are beaches monitored?
The public Bathing Beach Water Quality Monitoring
program conducted by the St. Clair County Health Department is a water collection,
analysis, and reporting activity designed to prevent exposure to water conditions
exceeding state standards. The Bathing Beach Monitoring program helps protect
the public’s health by managing the risk associated with swimming in open waters.
The St. Clair County Health Department monitors 18 public
bathing beaches in St. Clair County weekly from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Samples are generally taken one foot below the surface in water that is between
three and six feet in depth.
Why do beaches sometimes close?
The Michigan Public Health Code authorizes local
health departments to monitor and evaluate water quality at public bathing beaches
and to determine whether the water is safe for bathing purposes. This Code also
sets standards that limit the levels of E. coli at beaches called Total Body
Contact Standards. A bathing beach is closed whenever these standards are exceeded.
Generally, following a heavy rainfall, the beaches may be closed due to polluted
storm water run-off.
What is Escherichia coli (E. coli)?
E. coli
is a common microbe found in the digestive systems of all warm-blooded animals,
including humans. The presence of E. coli bacteria in beach water can
indicate the possibility of sanitary sewage contamination.
Where does contamination come from?
There are a variety of sources that contribute bacteria
and other pathogens to surface water, such as
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- Storm water (rain) run-off from impervious surfaces
- Failing or malfunctioning septic systems
- Combined sanitary sewer overflows
- Dumping of oil or grass clippings
- Wild and domestic animal waste
- Fertilization near waterways
- Sediment and eroded soil
- Watercraft activities
- Agricultural run-off
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The Good News Is…You Can Help!
There are actions which you can do to help
reduce beach closings in St. Clair County. Click here
for more information!
- Limit use of fertilizers and pesticides near waterways.
Keep them off paved surfaces by brushing them with a broom back onto the lawn. Do
not use a hose as a broom.
- Monitor how your septic system is functioning.
Septic tanks should be pumped once every 3 - 5 years. Click here for
A Guide to Your Septic
System.
- Don’t dump anything down a drain you wouldn’t drink
or swim in! Properly dispose of household chemicals:
St. Clair County Environmental Services Department; 6779 Smiths
Creek Road, Smiths Creek, (810) 367-3061.
- Promptly clean up and properly dispose of pet waste
in a trash can or flush it down the toilet.
- Disconnect downspouts from sewer systems. Direct
the downspouts into a vegetated area, by creating a
rain garden.
- Stabilize stream banks with vegetation. Plants
native to Michigan tolerate dry weather and resist disease. Click here for a list
of native plants.
- Recycle grass clippings and leaves by mulching or composting.
Do not dump them into a waterway or drain.
- Take a dirty vehicle to a car wash and a leaky watercraft
or vehicle to a mechanic. By law, car wash’s are required to treat their dirty,
soapy water, before discharging it to a local waterway.
- Fence livestock to prevent access to streams.
- Do not feed birds near public beaches. Large congregation
of birds near a waterway contributes high quantities of fecal coliforms to the shoreline
water.
The Health Department monitors 18 public bathing beaches
in St. Clair County from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
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Waterbody |
Location |
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Beechgrove Lake – Beechgrove Campground |
Emmett |
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Fort Trodd Lake – Fort Trodd North and South |
Wadhams |
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Kimball Pond – Kimball Township Pond |
Kimball |
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Lake Huron – Burtchville Twp Park |
North Lakeport |
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Lake Huron – Conger Lighthouse Beach |
Port Huron |
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Lake Huron – Jeddo Road Beach |
Port Huron |
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Lake Huron – Holland Road Beach |
North Lakeport |
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Lake Huron – Keewadhin Road Beach |
Fort Gratiot |
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Lake Huron – Krafft Road Beach |
Port Huron |
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Lake Huron – Lakeport State Campground |
Lakeport |
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Lake Huron – Lakeport State Park |
Lakeport |
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Lake Huron – Lakeside Beach |
Port Huron |
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Lake Huron – Metcalf Road Beach |
Burtchville |
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Lake Huron – Washington Street Park |
Lakeport |
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St. Clair River – Chrysler Park Beach |
Marysville |
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St. Clair River – Marine City Beach |
Marine City |
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St. Clair River – Marine City Diving Area |
Marine City |
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Statutory Protocol
Part 125 of Act 368, Public Acts of 1978 provides
for testing and evaluation of public bathing beaches by local health departments.
This part prescribes the functions of health agencies and authorizes the establishment
of rules for sanitation and safety standards. The public bathing beach legislation
is permissive, which means the program is not required of any agency, but if conducted
it must be carried out according to the procedures established therein.
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General Guidelines |
- Routine sampling will be conducted at all public bathing
beaches once a week. Sampling frequency will be increased when necessary due to
violations of public bathing beach rules and/or other episodes that may be injurious
to the public health.
- Sampling will begin normally in May and will end in
September or October.
- Samples will be analyzed for Escherichia coli (E. Coli)
and the results expressed as the number of colonies in a 100 millimeters (ml) sample.
- Michigan Rule 325.2102 includes bacterial sanitation
standards of compliance for a bathing beach. They are as follows:
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- Geometric mean of the most recent series of fifteen
consecutive samples collected at a particular bathing beach over a 30-day period
shall not exceed 130 colonies per 100 ml.
- Geometric mean of all samples (minimum of 3) collected
at a particular bathing beach during the same sampling event shall not exceed 300
colonies per 100 ml.
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- A bathing beach will be ordered to close whenever any
of the standards outlined in item number four are exceeded.
- A bathing beach will also be ordered to close when
any other biological, physical or chemical conditions are observed that may be injurious
to public health. Sampling parameters may be expanded to include other microorganisms
or substances to evaluate such conditions.
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Closing Protocol |
- The St. Clair County Health Department staff member
assigned to the bathing beach program will monitor the sample results at each site
and will contact the Environmental Health Director/designated sanitarian upon the
occurrence of any of the following:
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- The geometric mean of a series of fifteen consecutive
samples collected at a particular bathing beach over a 30-day period exceeds 130
E. coli colonies per 100 ml.
- The geometric mean of all samples (minimum of 3) collected
during the same sampling event at a particular bathing beach exceeds 300 E. coli
colonies per 100 ml.
- Conditions are observed that may be injurious to the
health and/or safety of bathers.
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- The Environmental Health Director/designated sanitarian
will then notify the beach operator by telephone that immediate closure of the beach
is necessary. Written notification will be sent by FAX or mailed if necessary.
- A site visit will be made by the St. Clair County Health
Department staff as soon as possible to verify compliance with the closure order.
If compliance cannot be achieved through cooperation by the beach operator, further
action as provided by law may be undertaken.
- A daily sampling schedule may be initiated upon closure
of a beach and may continue until water quality returns to compliance with public
bathing beach rules.
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The St. Clair County Health Department provides a 24-hour
Water Quality Hotline, which gives quick, accurate information and advisories about
beach conditions. For current beach closings, call:
1-810-987-7253
1-877-504-SWIM
St. Clair County Public Beach
Closings |
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