Wildcat Lake swimming beach closed due to E. coli bacteria

Kitsap County Washington sent this bulletin at 06/03/2021 02:44 PM PDT

June 3, 2021

KITSAP COUNTY, WA

Wildcat Lake Park swimming beach temporarily closed due to E. coli bacteria

The public is advised to avoid all contact with water at the beach until further notice.

Today the Kitsap Public Health District temporarily closed the swimming beach at Wildcat Lake Park due to high levels of E. coli bacteria in the water. Warning signs have been posted at the beach.

With elevated E. coli levels there is an increased risk of getting sick, so the the public is advised to avoid all contact with the water at the swimming beach until further notice. This means no swimming, wading, or other types of water play where water could be swallowed or get in the mouth, nose or eyes. The risk of illness is greatest for young children, older adults, or anyone with a compromised immune system.

The closure level for E. coli is a arithmetic mean value (AMV) of 126 MPN/100 mL. For samples taken Wednesday, June 2, at the Wildcat Lake County Park swimming beach, the AMV was 809 MPN/100 mL.

MPN/100mL is a unit of measure and stands for the "most probable number" of bacteria colonies that grow in a 100 milliliter sample.

Kitsap Public Health will continue to monitor the Wildcat Lake swimming beach for E.coli and will lift the advisory when there is no longer an elevated risk to public health. No illnesses have been reported to Kitsap Public Health at this time.

Updates will be posted to kitsappublichealth.org/beaches, distributed via our email listserv, and posted on our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts.

SWIMMING BEACH MONITORING

During the summer months, the Kitsap Public Health District monitors 34 fresh and salt water swimming areas for bacteria levels and sources, safety concerns, and toxic cyanobacteria (commonly known as toxic blue-green algae).

If people or pets become sick after being in the water, or if you see an algae bloom or large numbers of dead fish, please report it online or by calling 360-728-2235 so Kitsap Public Health can investigate and take action, if necessary.

RESOURCES:

CONTACT: pio@kitsappublichealth.org

The Kitsap County Joint Information Center, as part of the Kitsap County Emergency Operations Center (KCEOC), provides accurate and up-to-date information about the local response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization's goal is to reduce the impacts of the pandemic in Kitsap and to safeguard the local healthcare system, government infrastructure, and economy, as well as to prepare for recovery.

The KCEOC operates under the leadership of a unified command, composed of representatives of Kitsap Public Health District, Kitsap County Department of Emergency Management, Law Enforcement, Kitsap County Department of Human Services, and Kitsap County Administration.

Kitsap County
Emergency Operations Center
http://www.Kitsapgov.com

SUBSCRIBER SERVICES:
Manage preferences | Unsubscribe | Help