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SALT LAKE CITY -- State health officials are fanning out across Utah with local and federal agencies to begin testing popular waterways for bacteria contamination.
The Utah Division of Water Quality will test more than 40 popular lakes and reservoirs commonly used for recreation in the warm summer months for E. coli, which can cause gastrointestinal illnesses in people if ingested.
Scientists and trained technicians will sample beaches and reservoirs about once a month through Labor Day for dangerous amounts of the bacteria.
We don't have enough resources to test all bodies of water, so we focus on areas that have a high concentration of swimmers. The test is an indicator of potential bacterial contamination and we will warn the public if it doesn't meet our safety standards.
–Leah Ann Lamb
"We don't have enough resources to test all bodies of water, so we focus on areas that have a high concentration of swimmers," said Leah Ann Lamb, assistant director of the Division of Water Quality. "The test is an indicator of potential bacterial contamination and we will warn the public if it doesn't meet our safety standards."
Last year, high levels of E. coli were found at Salem Pond in Utah County, about 60 miles south of Salt Lake City. Signs were put up to warn residents not to swim or wade in the water and to wash their hands after touching fish. No illnesses that could be traced back to the E. coli were reported.
Lamb said the length of time E. coli stays in the water can often be determined by the source of contamination, although studies at Salem Pond failed to show why the high levels of bacteria were present.
Health officials said outbreaks of E. coli are especially common during the summer when food can be left out and people participate in more water sports.
"The public need to understand that natural bodies of water are not like swimming pools which have chlorine, ponds and lakes have bacteria and it's important for people to realize that they can be susceptible to diseases if they swallow water in these areas," said Julia Hall, an epidemiologist for the Utah Department of Health. "It's critical to observe surrounding areas for fecal matter and other indicators that could lead to E. coli contamination before getting in the water."
From 2004 to 2009, Utah's Department of Health recorded an average of 103 cases of E. coli illnesses in people, with the highest rate in 2006 of 154 cases -- the same year a national E. coli outbreak caused a spinach recall. Utah saw 111 cases in 2009, according to the most updated statistics.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
