Update: The St. Clair County Health Department has canceled the water quality swimming advisory for Holland Beach. Bacteria levels indicate the beach is now safe for swimming, according to a Friday, June 27, announcement.
The St. Clair County Health Department is warning beachgoers to avoid Holland Beach for the time being due to heightened E. coli levels.
The department published a news release Thursday warning of the increase in bacteria.
E. coli is often found in the fecal matter of warm-blooded animals and can end up contaminating beaches during storms, strong winds and rainfall. For a beach to be considered safe, the water has to have less than 300 E. coli per 100 milliliters in a sample.
The St. Clair County Health Department tests beaches weekly for E. coli levels and puts out news releases to warn the public when those levels are too high to safely swim in. Swimming in E. coli-infested waters can cause gastrointestinal illnesses, skin irritation and infection.
Information on closed beaches in St. Clair County is available online on the St. Clair County Beaches Facebook page and EGLE’s Beachguard website. Anyone with questions can contact the health department’s Environmental Health Division at (810) 987-5306.
Contact Johnathan Hogan at jhogan@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Update: Holland Beach cleared for swimming
Reporting by Johnathan Hogan, Port Huron Times Herald / Port Huron Times Herald
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