Going into the Labor Day weekend, Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District shares favorable water quality sampling results following a sanitary sewer overflow it first reported on Friday, August 25.
The District began sampling for E. coli, a measure of bacteria in water, shortly after the overflow was discovered. It later expanded sampling to Gilligan’s Island in the Yahara River and Lake Waubesa at the Lower Yahara Trail following discussions with Public Health Madison Dane County and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR).
Lab results from all sampling points show that E. coli counts are well below the threshold used by both Public Health and WDNR to activate beach closures.
The three agencies focused on E. coli as it is the best indicator of whether there are germs in the water that can make people sick. Public Health has been sampling for E. coli at nearly two dozen Dane County beaches this summer.
“We appreciate the collaboration with Public Health and the WDNR to ensure we were taking appropriate actions to uphold our mission to protect public health and the environment following the overflow event,” says Eric Dundee, Executive Director, Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District. “We love our lakes and rivers in Dane County, and it’s great to have assurance that residents and visitors can enjoy their time in areas where we sampled in the Yahara River and Lake Waubesa this holiday weekend.”
