BARNARD — In the middle of a sweltering heat wave on Tuesday, Silver Lake State Park’s swim area was closed for elevated levels of E. coli.
Assistant park manager Fiona Vaillancourt said she took a weekly water sample at the state beach Monday afternoon around 2 p.m. and brought the water to a state lab for testing. When the results came back Tuesday morning, park staff closed the state beach immediately.
Prior to Monday, the most recent water sample was taken last Monday, June 16, she said.
Vaillancourt said she took another sample of the water Tuesday at 11 a.m., and those results will likely come back from the lab late Wednesday morning. If the water is safe, park staff will reopen the beach. If not, she will continue taking samples until levels come down.
E. coli comes from human and animal waste and is considered to be an “indicator” bacteria that shows that there may also be other “disease-causing microorganisms” in the water, according to materials form the Vermont Department of Health. When E. coli levels are high, the bacteria and any other microorganisms can cause skin rashes, sore throats, diarrhea or other problems, especially in children, who are more likely to accidentally swallow bacteria-infested water.
The exact cause of the E. coli in Silver Lake is unknown, though Vaillancourt said a possible culprit are the geese in the area and the situation was exacerbated by the heat wave.
With temperatures rising into the mid-90s on Tuesday, visitors were disappointed to find the beach closed.
Krisi Manole, site coordinator for the One Planet summer camp in South Royalton, said the 50 kids enrolled were scheduled to visit the beach Tuesday morning but she discovered that the swim area was closed when she arrived. Manole directed the buses back to White River Valley Elementary School’s Royalton campus, bought some inflatable pools, got fans and a sprinkler running to keep kids cool at the school that has no air conditioning.
“We’re just watching the kids and making sure everyone’s drinking water and cooling down,” Manole said Tuesday afternoon. “It was a bummer, but I don’t want the kids going in that type of water.”
The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources performs weekly water testing for E. coli and cyanobacteria at all state park swimming areas. Data is posted online at vtstateparks.com/swimming.
In New Hampshire, fecal bacteria and cyanobacteria warnings are posted online at des.nh.gov/water/healthy-swimming/healthy-swimming-mapper.
