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UPDATE 8/25/23: Yesterday’s testing, reported today, returned a number of 49, bringing the Index back to a LEVEL-1 and releasing all advisories for Haserot Beach.
The water at Haserot Beach in the village of Old Mission has once again tested positive for E.Coli (Escherichia coli bacteria) by the Watershed Center of Grand Traverse Bay, in cooperation with the Grand Traverse County Health Department.
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Yesterday’s report returned a number of 866, which is a LEVEL-2 Index. This level means that people should only have “partial body contact” with the water – waist level only. They will test again today, with results posted tomorrow.
Here’s the note from Brent Wheat, Environmental Health Director with Grand Traverse County…
“The water sampling conducted on Wednesday, August 23, 2023, resulted in three Grand Traverse County beaches (East Bay Park, Sunset Park and Haserot Beach) exceeding the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s (EGLE) standards for LEVEL-2, Partial body contact. It is recommended that contact with the water at these beaches remains below the waist. All other beaches are LEVEL-1.
“East Bay Park, Sunset Park and Haserot Beach are being resampled today (Thursday, August 24th), and results will be available on Friday, August 25th, 2023.”
During the summer months, the water at Haserot Beach is tested weekly, with numbers typically in the 0 to 100 range (colonies per 100/ml). On August 2, however, E. Coli levels at the beach were 1986, which is a LEVEL-3 Index, “No Body Contact Advisory,” per EGLE’s standards.
Testing takes place on Wednesdays, with results posted by noon on Thursdays on the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s BeachGuard website, The Watershed Center’s Facebook page, the Grand Traverse County Health Department website, and the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department website and Facebook page.
The weekly samples are collected from three locations at Haserot Beach: 1) by the old boat ramp; 2) in the middle; and 3) near the Old Mission drain. Those samples are then mixed in a single container, from which the sample is extracted and reported.
I’ll update this story with tomorrow’s numbers when they’re available.
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