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2 Oakland County Beaches Still Closed After High E. Coli Levels Detected

OAKLAND COUNTY (CBS DETROIT) - Oakland County's Health Division has reopened more beaches that were originally closed due to high levels of E-coli.

Only two beaches out of nine remain shut down as officials continue to test the waters.

Mark Hansell with the county's health department tells WWJ that beach sampling began this week in Oakland County.

"We test for E. coli ... a coli-form bacteria, and if present,it could be an indicator that other more harmful and harder to detect organisms are present there in the water. So what would cause a closure are readings of E. coli that are above state standards," said Hansell.

Nine beaches were originally closed and they've reopened all but Addison Oaks County Park in Leonard and Mercer Beach Park in Walled Lake.

Hansell says the county monitors weekly 100 different public and semi-public beaches on 61 different lakes in the county.

Also on Thursday, the Monroe County Health Department lifted earlier warnings that urged people against full body contact with water at four public beach areas along Lake Erie.

Advisories were lifted after testing this week at Estral Beach, Woodland Beach, Pointe Aux Peaux and Bolles Harbor revealed the water quality is within "acceptable standards," The Monroe News reported.

 

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