If you were hoping to cool off at some of King County’s favorite lakes, you might want to pump the brakes. Five busy swim beaches are under advisory after water tests showed bacteria levels well above what the county considers safe.
Health officials are urging people to stay out of the water at Gene Coulon Memorial, Juanita, Lake Meridian, Matthews, and Waverly beaches while they run follow-up tests.
High Readings at Five Popular Swim Areas
Routine samples collected on June 15 turned up multiple high readings at each of the five sites, triggering the warnings. As reported by MyNorthwest, Waverly had a sample measuring 750 CFU per 100 mL, Gene Coulon 670 CFU, Lake Meridian 630 CFU, Matthews Beach 590 CFU, and Juanita 400 CFU.
According to Public Health – Seattle & King County, the county generally recommends that swimmers stay out of the water when two or three samples on the same day top 320 CFU per 100 mL.
What the County Warns Swimmers
“We test the water for bacteria, which tells us whether there is poop in the water from people, pets, or wildlife,” Public Health – Seattle & King County wrote, noting that germs from poop can cause rashes, stomach illness, and other infections…