It’s been a hot week with no immediate relief, and the weekend brings the opportunity to relax in the water while watching your children play at the beach. It’s a pleasant experience, but also worthy of extra caution.
Following the heavy storms that recently pounded the region, Lake Wappapello’s public beach — the Alison Cove Day Use Area — has been designated as a no swimming area due to high levels of E. coli bacteria in the water.
So, what would happen if someone were exposed to high levels of E. coli?
According to The Water Project, a charity dedicated to providing clean drinking water globally: “Diseases acquired from contact with contaminated water can cause gastrointestinal illness, skin, ear, respiratory, eye, neurological, and wound infections. The most commonly reported symptoms are stomach cramps, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and low-grade fever.”
Often, the increased levels of the bacteria are the result of increased runoff after heavy rains. The bacteria is present in animal manure and septic systems. There is a threshold for the levels a person can be subjected to before they become sick.
The presence of E. coli is also used as an indicator to monitor the possible presence of other, more harmful microbes.
Fortunately, the Missouri State Parks office tests the water on a weekly basis and posts the resulting information for the public to see. To check these results, one simply needs to log on to dnr.mo.gov/beaches and search for the Lake Wappapello Public Beach results.