On a calm, early Monday morning, Oneida County Environmental Health Specialist Maddie Homstad takes in Buck Lake at Almon County Park.
Homstad notes the wind speed and direction, weather conditions, any people at the beach, and any debris in the water like plants, dead fish, or garbage on her chart.
She’s particularly interested in any wildlife.
“We're looking for if there's any birds here, any dogs here, because animals go to the bathroom, just like people, and if E. Coli is present, it could be linked to animals being present,” said Homstad.
Then she wades out into the water at Buck Lake until she’s about knee deep.
First, she takes the water temperature. Then she dips a bottle into the water to collect a sample.
The sample will be sent to the Vilas County Health Department to test for E. Coli.
This process is done at four beaches each week in Oneida County: Buck Lake and Hodag Park in Rhinelander, the Sugar Camp public beach, and Torpy Park in Minocqua.
Homstad says the weekly testing is important because sickness from E. Coli can range from vomiting and diarrhea to skin and eye infections. It can even lead to more serious conditions like meningitis in extreme cases.
“Even something as simple as rain and runoff from a heavy rainstorm, because animals go to the bathroom and we are in the Northwoods, there's lots of animals, so that runoff can flow into the lakes, and then, say, on a nice, sunny day, it can kind of incubate in the lake and increase the [E. Coli] levels,” said Homstad.
The Oneida County Health Department does the testing early Monday morning and will typically get and post results Tuesday afternoon or early Wednesday both on its website and Facebook page.
If E. Coli levels come back at an unhealthy level, signage will be posted at the beach and the health department will increase testing frequency at that beach.
“We don't want the beach to be closed for a whole week. We try to get it opened up as soon as possible,” said Homstad.
Homstad says it’s not a perfect system as the water can change from day to day, but she’s hopeful it will help keep people healthy while enjoying the Northwoods.
“Summers are so short it feels like and no one wants to spend their time sick after they went to the beach,” said Homstad.
While testing for E. Coli, they’re also keeping an eye out for algae, particularly blue-green algae that can also cause illness in people and pets.
Homstad says even with the regular testing, people should still be cautious if the water looks questionable.
“Just being aware that bacteria exists in our lakes and some are dangerous, some are not,” said Homstad.
The Oneida County Health Department has an online guide to help determine if the algae may be harmful or not. That’s also where you can find more information about water testing.
The Health Department started this regular testing June 16 and has not had any sample come back at a dangerous level as of July 14.
