DETROIT (AP) — Detroit stopped testing the Detroit River for E. coli at Belle Isle Beach last year because of its financial difficulties, and there are no plans to resume the testing, which costs an estimated $5,000 and $6,000 per year, officials said.
Vernice Anthony, director of the city’s Department of Health and Wellness Promotion, told the Detroit Free Press (http://on.freep.com/1cnxzCm ) for a Wednesday story that resumption of testing hasn’t been discussed, but that residents should feel confident about swimming there.
Bruce King, vice president of environmental safety and preparedness at the Institute for Population Health, said Belle Isle Beach doesn’t have a history of bacteria-issue closures and that the beach’s river location means even problem water would move away quickly.
“The water quality at Belle Isle is fairly good,” said King, whose nonprofit handles Detroit public health services. “With the flow of the river, your contaminants don’t stay at the beach.”
Shannon Briggs, of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality’s Water Resources Division, estimated that a season’s worth of beach water sampling and testing would cost $5,000 to $6,000. The state gave Detroit more than $2,600 in 2011 for testing, but that only covered part of the cost.
If swallowed while swimming, E. coli can cause severe cramps, nausea and diarrhea. Briggs supports testing the beach water in Detroit, which filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection July 18.
“Belle Isle Beach is unique, and since it’s the only beach on the Detroit River, it gives us a glimpse of how the Detroit River is doing,” Briggs said.
Ashley Lyles and her daughters, ages 2 and 3, spent a recent afternoon at Belle Isle Beach but she might not come back after learning about the testing.
“They’re putting people’s lives in jeopardy. People can put stuff in the water,” said Lyles, 25, of Detroit. “If you’re not testing it, you don’t know.”
Jackie Telesford, who was at the beach with her two grandchildren, ages 6 and 9, had a different reaction.
“I would prefer if ... the water was tested. However, because this beach doesn’t have a history of excessive contamination, I still feel safe coming here, and I’ve come here for years and have not noticed a change in the quality of the water,” Telesford said.