Advisory issued for increased levels of E. coli at Acton Lake
Hueston Woods State Park's Acton Lake remains on a bacteria contamination advisory after high levels of E. coli were found.
Advisories are posted when "the level of bad bacteria in the water has reached unsafe levels and could make you sick. Children, the elderly and those in ill health or weakened immune systems are advised not to swim," according to the Ohio Department of Health.
On Monday, the water tested at more than three times the recommended threshold of 235 colony forming units (cfu) per 100 milliliters. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) monitors the lake, ensuring sampling occurs once every two.
On June 3, the levels reached 2419.6 cfu/100mL, more than 10 times the threshold.
Natalie Foos oversees the ODNR Beach Sampling Program and said in an email to the Oxford Free Press that there isn't a definitive time span for when they expect levels to start to drop.
E. coli can be contracted by swallowing contaminated food or water, or through contact with infected animals, environments or other people. The bacteria can cause diarrhea, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, sepsis and other illnesses, according to the CDC.
Foos said most strains of E. coli are harmless; however, its presence may indicate that pathogens are also present in the water.
Olivia Cipolla, an Acton Lake visitor from Trenton, said she was a little more cautious after hearing about the contaminated lake, but not fully deterred.
