Wisconsin Beach Closings Put a Damper on Summer Fun

Wisconsin’s waterways are popular places to spend time during the hot summer months. Lake Michigan beaches are often filled to overflowing with picnickers and sun-worshippers alike, and the sight of children and adults splashing along the shoreline is a common one. In recent summers, though, a worrisome trend has been set in motion. Many beaches in our state and others have closed for days at a time due to harmful bacteria in the water.

The worst offender is Escherichia coli – more commonly known as E. coli – which can infect people who ingest food or water contaminated with human or animal feces. Often found in food products such as ground beef, E. coli can have serious effects on health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 73,000 cases of infection and 61 deaths occur each year in the United States from E. coli exposure.

While most cases of E. coli illness have been traced back to contaminated food, sickness can also occur after swimming in water that is contaminated with the bacteria. That’s where Wisconsin’s beaches are running into problems. In recent years, residents are increasingly being advised to enjoy the beaches, but to stay out of the water. In Milwaukee County, for instance, the beach season was shortened from 70 to 62 days last summer because of bacteria in the lake, and at some beaches, safe swimming days were even fewer.

Michael Frank, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine in the Divisions of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases in the Department of Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin, advises us to simply follow the warnings issued by local health agencies. “I would definitely avoid swimming in the lake if a warning was issued,” says Dr. Frank. “We’re right to be concerned.” Children are especially at risk, he says, because they are more likely to ingest contaminated sand or water than adults.

The causes for high levels of bacteria in Lake Michigan are varied. Weather conditions like high winds and heavy rainfall can cause a rise in bacteria levels, as can hazy skies and warm days. Conversely, several dry, windless days in a row can lead to stagnant water – perfect for producing certain bacteria. An additional issue in recent years is the problem of raw sewage seeping into the lake as a result of aging sewer pipes and storm sewer overflow. In Milwaukee, two environmental organizations, Friends of Milwaukee’s Rivers and the Lake Michigan Federation, have filed an intent to sue the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District. The groups claim that the MMSD has allowed billions of gallons of untreated wastewater to flow into Lake Michigan, a direct violation of the US Clean Water Act. “It’s easy to blame it on the sewage,” says Dr. Frank, “but we don’t really know where the bacteria come from.” Human waste and runoff from nearby farms and fields surely contribute to the problem, he asserts, as do the huge flocks of seagulls that live along Wisconsin shores.

Nationwide, beach closures are up 19% this year to 13,410 closures, reports the Natural Resources Defense Council. While this might be a result of more diligent testing and reporting, the information is nevertheless disturbing to those who live and play on our shores. The council reports that some states have not yet adopted Environmental Protection Agency standards for bacteria in the water. As a result, many beaches have no monitoring programs in place and some beaches stay open even when bacteria levels are high.

Wisconsin as yet has no uniform standards for monitoring the bacteria levels on its beaches, but some counties, including Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha, are working with the EPA and local health departments to make statistics available to the public on a daily basis.

Scientists at Indiana University have recently developed a technique to help forecast the health of Lake Michigan beaches. Factors such as the lake’s water level, the amount of recent rainfall, how much sunshine has hit the lake, and air and water temperatures are fed into a computer program that predicts the levels of bacteria in the water. Last summer’s test of the program at two Milwaukee beaches had an 80% success rate. Health officials say this system is faster and more accurate than the current 48-hour bacteria tests being used, and plans are now in the works to expand the forecasting system to a five-county area on the western shore of the lake.

Until better monitoring systems are in place, the CDC urges people to take some safety precautions before swimming in lakes, rivers and even public pools.

• Don’t swim when you are ill, especially with diarrhea – germs can spread quickly through the water to other swimmers.
• Never swallow water while swimming. Try to avoid getting it in your mouth at all.
• Wash thoroughly before swimming to prevent your germs from entering the water, and after swimming to be sure you’re free of bacteria from the water.
• Look for signs of pollution such as overflowing trash bins in the area, which could indicate disease-causing bacteria in the water.
• If you are at a beach that is not regularly monitored for bacteria, avoid swimming after a heavy rain, or near storm sewer pipes. Both can cause higher levels of bacteria in the area.