Diving into Summer: Beach Water Testing Underway in Dane County

Summer is here and so is beach season! We kicked off our annual beach monitoring program to help keep you and your family safe while enjoying everything our beautiful lakes have to offer. We’re now monitoring 23 beaches and 4 lake access points all summer long.

Our goal is to make sure the water is safe for swimming and that you know when it’s not. We test for E. coli bacteria, which is an indicator of germs that can make you sick. We collect water samples every week at each beach and access point we monitor. If the bacteria levels are high, we’ll close the beach and keep testing until it’s safe again. We keep our website updated with closures.

What about blue-green algae?

Blue-green algae (also known as cyanobacteria) can look like pea soup, green or blue paint, or a fluffy layer of scum on the water’s surface. These blooms can be toxic to people and pets. If we see a bloom during sampling, we’ll close the beach for swimming right away. Then, we’ll test a sample for algae toxins back at our lab every weekday until it returns to normal levels.

Conditions can change quickly.

If you see water that looks suspicious, don’t swim in it. When the conditions are right, like after heavy rainfall, blue-green algae can grow quickly. That means it’s possible it developed after one of our regular beach checks. So, even if the beach is open, stay out of the water if you see blooms.

You can get sick from just going into water that has blue green algae toxins. Symptoms include rash, eye irritation, sore throat, and cough. Swallowing water can intensify the symptoms including stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, dizziness, and more. That’s why it’s especially important to keep your pets safe, too. They’re more likely to get sick from accidentally drink water with blue-green algae.

Stay in the know!

• Sign up for daily email alerts about beach conditions
• Check our website for the latest updates. Often, when one beach is closed for swimming, others are open.

If you see a blue-green algae bloom or feel sick after swimming, please report it to Wisconsin Harmful Algal Blooms Program by filling out their online survey. If you have questions or concerns you can email us at lab@publichealthmdc.com or call us at 608-243-0380.