I’m a bit on the paranoid side but I’ve decided to bag my last two open water swim sessions due to heavy rain the day before. There are tons on ‘resident’ Canadian geese all around the lake and I fear that there could be some contaminated run-off into the lake that could potentially make me sick.
Is this a legit concern or am I letting my germ-a-phobic side get the best of me?
Dave from VA
Depends on the lake. There are tons of lakes here in Southeastern Michigan, including the Great Lakes. Many beaches and lakes get closed to swimming because of e coli contamination after big storms. A lot of it has to do with geese, some of it has to do with ‘cottages’ with bad septic systems. Does your lake get tested regularly? Has it been closed before? Some lakes will be a cesspool with any bit of rain, others won’t be affected by a hurricane. You have a legit concern, but check to see if any testing has been done. If it has a public beach, it most likely gets tested.
You should be concerned if the storm water and sewage systems are linked together which they are in any system more than a few years old. Excess storm water runs directly into lakes without treatment and brings sewage with it. This usually brings up the fecal (poop) bacterial counts to unsafe levels. Call the local public utility district and ask about the lake you plan on swimming in. The lakes in Seattle all have signs explaining this and a few tri swims have been cancelled or moved because of the problem. There’s also the increased pollution due to direct runoff from lawns and streets.
I think it’s always a legitimate concern, but then I’ve been surfing after recent rainfall so I’ve experienced the problem first-hand. I’m not sure how much runoff drains into lakes, but if it’s anything like the beach I’d err on the side of caution. I’d guess that you can probably check water quality for lakes online like you can for beaches. surfrider.com is always a good place to start.
You are right to be concerned. Natural sources, such as goose and deer poop*, agricultural sources such as farms and ranches, and septic/sewer systems, are all sources of runoff that can contain germs. Call the county health department and see if they do testing. If they do not, and this is a popular swimming area, you may need to start a grass-roots campaign to get them to start.
*I recall a story about Odwalla unpastuerized apple juice being contaminated with ecoli and making a lot of people sick. Turns out the source was groundfall apples which had been harvested and juiced after they came in contact with deer poop. Man is not the only polluter in nature!
If so, I would be afraid as well. I’ve heard many stories of people getting sick after swimming in that lake.
That’s the lake for the Reston Tri. Swimming is not permitted in Lake Audubon but I know a lot of folks who still swim there.
Any specifics on the illnesses related to Lake Audubon?
Dave from VA