Swimming in a lake on a hot summer day is one of life’s true pleasures, unless the water contains potentially deadly bacteria or chemicals!

So, should you should stop swimming in lakes? Residents living near Michigan’s many lakes often want to know if the water is safe for swimming or fishing.

One concern is E. coli. A number of beaches in Michigan closed every year due to high E. coli levels. What is E. coli? E. coli stands for Escherichia coli. This is the formal name for a species of bacteria that can cause urinary tract infections, respiratory illness, pneumonia and gastritis (CDC, 2014).

It is difficult to pinpoint the cause of E. coli pollution because it can originate from multiply sources, including human waste, bird droppings, storm and farm run-off.

E.coli is not the only contaminate we see in our lakes, our water can also be harmed by things that we use and do every day.

When it rains, water washes over lawns, sidewalks, and streets. In addition to trash, this water picks up chemicals from lawn fertilizers, bacteria from pet waste, oil from cars, and sewage from failed septic tanks. This polluted water enters roadside ditches and the storm drains, then flows to the closest stream or lake.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources claims that Oakland County has 358 lakes but only about 170 of these are actually tested and placed into the Oakland County Health Departments Beach Guard database each year (DNR, 2019).

Due to the expenses of testing each beach in Oakland County, only a select public beaches are tested every year, while semi-public beaches go through a rotation, being tested every four to five years.

During the summer of 2018, the State closed 24 beaches that were closed due to high levels of contamination, likely due to stormwater runoff. It seems like beach closures are becoming the new norm with more and more closing due to contamination every summer.

As a current resident of Oakland County, I am concerned that the lakes I go in aren’t safe to swim in and may be impacting my health in a negative way.

When I am in a body of water, I want to be positive that it’s maintained, clean and free of harmful toxins.

Protecting individuals from bacteria, viruses, and other contaminants in lake water requires leadership. Along with city officials, residents living near lakes need to help reduce the pollutants entering our beautiful lakes.

So, what can you do to help?

First step is to get involved with the community and be apart of the Healthy Lakes initiative through Oakland County, where they seek to educate and raise awareness of lake issues (Oakland County, 2019). They also provide residents with free training and equipment to monitor lake quality.

Other steps that can be taken are:

• Properly dispose of chemical cleaners, oils, and non-biodegradable items to keep them from ending up down the drain.

• If you have a yard, consider landscaping that reduces runoff and avoid applying pesticides and herbicides.

• Reduce auto emissions.

• Pick up after your dog

• Not disposing of waste in the lakes

• Do not feed wildlife, including geese at parks and beaches

• Periodically take water samples of privately-owned lakes

Summer is just around the corner and YES, we are blessed with lots of beautiful waters.

Let’s do everything we can to make them cleaner and keep them beautiful. We are all connected by these issues and can work together to fix them.

Kimberly Smith

Oakland County

Kimberly Smith is currently a student at Western Michigan University pursuing a Master’s degree in Public Health. Her Opinion Editorial is part of an assignment about local environmental health concerns.