Beach at Island Lake County Park in Kitsap County closed due to high E. coli levels
Seattle beaches to open to the public June 25
Six Seattle beaches with lifeguards will open to the public later this month for use during the summer. However, due to a nationwide lifeguard shortage, three beaches will be closed for the rest of the summer.
KITSAP COUNTY, Wash. - The Kitsap County Public Health District temporarily closed the swimming beach at Island Lake County Park on Friday due to high levels of E. coli bacteria in the water.
The Health District says they will continue to monitor water quality at the beach and will reopen the swimming area when E. coli levels return to a level considered safe for human contact.
Because there is an increased risk of getting sick, the public is advised to avoid all contact with water at the beach until further notice. This means no swimming, wading, or any activity where water could get in the mouth, nose or eyes. The risk of illness is greatest for young children, older adults and anyone with a compromised immune system.
During the summer, Kitsap Public Health monitors 30 fresh and saltwater swimming areas. Bacteria levels are measured in MPN/100mL, a unit that measures the "most probable number" of bacteria colonies that grow in a 100-milliliter sample.
For samples taken Thursday, July 7 at the Island Lake County Park swimming beach, the mean E. coli level was 249 MPN/100 mL. Kitsap Public Health says they will close a beach when the measurement is over 100 MPN/100 mL.
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High levels of E. coli bacteria can be caused by wildlife and pets in the water, people swimming when they are sick with diarrhea, infants swimming without swim diapers or people entering the water without showering, according to Kitsap Public Health.
No illnesses have been reported at this time.