Paddock Lake on Friday opened all beaches on its lake for swimming after testing showed safe levels of E.coli.
The lake’s channel area, however, will remain closed to swimming pending further testing, said village administrator Tim Popanda.
Testing by the county Division of Health on Wednesday at the Paddock Hooker Lake Association beach, the North Shore Lake Association beach, Hoag Park and Old Settlers County Park beach all showed levels well below the level for caution or closing, Popanda said. Those test results were: Old Settlers County Park, 31 E.coli/100 mL; Hoag Park, 12 E.coli/100 mL; PHLA, 30 E.coli/100 mL; North Shore Lake Association: 4 E.coli/100 mL
Samples taken around the channel on Thursday were all well above the caution level and near closure levels. Those results were: Paddock site #1 – 866 E.coli/100 mL (Caution); Paddock Site #2 – 921 E.coli/100 mL (Caution); Paddock Site #3 – 980 E.coli/100 mL (Caution).
The State Department of Health recommends posting warnings at beaches when test results indicate an E.coli level of 300/100ml or more and closing a beach when test results exceed E.coli 1,000/100ml.
“Although the E.coli levels are falling the swimming area in front of the PHLA diving board (on the channel) will remain closed until the E.coli samples fall below 300/100ml,” Popanda said. “What is needed is a full day of U.V. sunlight to kill off the E.coli.”
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