Beach Testing Season Starts May 18

Residents will now be able to learn whether or not it's safe to swim on Saturdays when the 2009 Beach Water Quality Program starts on May 18.

Made possible with an annual grant from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), water samples will be drawn every Monday through Friday -- except Tuesdays -- through September 12, 2009. Results from those samples will be posted Tuesdays through Saturdays, except Wednesdays. Monies from the grant are used to hire a Grant Administrator, a Sampling Technician, and to contract with a laboratory for testing.

For the third year in a row, Polly Costanza has been hired as our official Sampling Technician. You may see her bravely wading into the lake at 7:00 a.m. to grab water samples at three locations along the beach. She then transports the samples to a pre-arranged location in Marquette Park in Gary.

From there our contracted Laboratory, United Water, picks up the samples for analysis. United Water then cultures the samples for 24 hours for E. coli bacteria. Results from the cultured samples are then e-mailed to Karen Berrier, Grant Administrator, who is responsible for determining if a beach is open for swimming, if an advisory should be posted, or if a closure is necessary.

Based on the results and the latest beach conditions (i.e., if there was a heavy rainfall in the past 24-78 hours), Karen then indicates on http:://www.ogdendunes.net/beachconditions.html whether or not the beach is open or if an Advisory or Closure are necessary.

Karen is also responsible for posting the appropriate signage along the accessways and near the Town Hall. IDEM is providing new signage soon that the Town tested for the State of Indiana last summer.

Yellow signs will indicate that an Advisory is posted. In this case, an increased risk of illness may be present based on recent monitoring for E. coli bacteria.

For your safety during an Advisory:

• Swim at your own risk.

• Do not ingest lake water.

• Shower after swimming.

• Wash hands before eating.

• Do not swim if you are ill.

Red Signs will tell the public that the beach is closed to swimming, and that a serious risk of illness may be present.

The ODEAB and Karen Berrier will also be working this summer with resident Dan Manas to finalize and release a video explaining why beach water quality needs to be monitored and how it is accomplished.