Signs warning patrons to swim at their own risk were removed from Damariscotta Mills after further water quality testing was conducted on Sept. 8.
The signs had originally been placed during the first week in September after testing by the Great Salt Bay Sanitary District revealed high levels of fecal coliform bacteria in the water.
“The levels were high enough we knew they wouldn’t occur under normal circumstances, but we didn’t have a background of detailed bacteria testing to know what the source would be,” said Garrison Beck, program director of the DLWA.
After speaking with the Department of Environmental Protection, Beck agreed to do additional tests of the area for the presence of the bacterium E. coli on Sept. 8. Although most strains of E. coli are harmless, there are some strains that can cause illness.
“Just because fecal coliform is present, that doesn’t mean there’s something harmful,” Beck said. “We wanted to run the more specific E. coli test to see if there was anything that would be harmful to human health.”
The results on Sept. 11 showed very low levels of E. coli Beck said.
“The levels of the bacteria we found were well within normal standards and safe for bodily contact,” Beck said.
After getting the results, Beck said the Maine Department of Environmental Protection advised the sanitary district the signs could be removed from the swimming site.
In the future, Beck hopes the resources of the merged conservation organizations would allow for regular testing of the bacteria levels of the water.
“Ongoing monitoring of the water quality would definitely be useful and helpful, especially during the summer months when there is a lot of use,” Beck said. “Through the new merged organization, there’s a potential to do these tests on a regular basis to help keep the public informed and help us be proactive about any issues that arise.”
