High bacteria count leads to ban on swimming at East Lake Park
No one knows why the count is often high, but many residents suspect that septic tanks are the cause.
By STEPHEN HEGARTY
Published January 15, 2004
LAND O'LAKES - Swimmers have been scarce at East Lake Park lately, and it has nothing to do with chilly weather.
The swimming area is closed. Again.
Water quality tests show high levels of bacteria. Again.
The most recent water quality tests done in mid December showed bacteria levels more than five times the acceptable levels.
This caps a year in which six of the monthly water quality tests at the popular swimming and skiing area showed high levels of bacteria: half the year.
The poor water quality readings have become so frequent that Lake Padgett residents react with shrugs as well as head-scratching.
"We've gotten used to it," said Joe Kaminski, president of the Lake Padgett municipal service taxing unit. "It's hard to say what causes it. I've been here since 1980, and nobody's come up with a smoking gun."
Many residents don't even notice when the swimming area is closed, though the signs are obvious enough. On the fence at the entrance to the park, 2-inch tall letters on a brown sign announce "Swim Area Closed." Lately the only activity is ducks floating lazily in the glass-smooth swim area.
But many residents with lakefront homes can go boating, water-scootering, swimming or fishing from their own docks and never set foot in the park.
Also, Lake Padgett residents - the only people permitted to use the park - can always use the nearby Lake Padgett park, which also has a dock and swimming area, and where the water quality readings tend to be better. Throughout 2003, the swimming area at the Lake Padgett park showed poor water quality three times, and those readings were generally lower than those at East Lake Park.
The poor water quality at East Lake was due to high levels of bacteria and harmful microorganisms such as human or animal feces. The bacteria could expose swimmers to hepatitis and ear, nose and throat infections.
Health Department officials were careful to point out what the readings do and do not mean. For instance, the samples are taken only in the roped off swimming area, so other areas of the lake could be much cleaner, or they also could be of poor quality.
"That seems to be a persistent problem out there," said Charles Kovach, manager of watershed and resource management for the Department of Environmental Protection. "I wouldn't be too alarmed. But there are some questions that would have to be answered before you dismiss it as a health concern."
The water quality readings fluctuate wildly from month to month. For instance, after two months of poor quality in February and March, the readings dropped to 10 in April - well within the "good quality" category. That changed in May when the lake registered its highest bacteria levels of the year. It changed again in August, September and October, when the swim area registered its lowest bacteria levels of the year.
There are plenty of theories about the frequent poor water quality readings. Many residents suspect that septic tanks are the cause.
"Why the county allowed any septic tanks to be built in the back yard I don't know," Kaminski said.
The prospect of putting the Lake Padgett homes on central water and sewer is raised occasionally. But all urgency is lost when the discussion gets around to the residents paying for the hookups.
Others wonder whether animal waste in the swim area might result in misleading water quality readings.
"It could be something as simple as that. More birds in the area just before the tests are done. Water runoff," said Rick Buckman, Pasco County parks division manager. "It's hard to say exactly what the problem is.
"Right now East Lake is closed for swimming," Buckman said. "You could still go there to ski. As a matter of fact, you could still swim in the lake. But we wouldn't recommend it."
- Stephen Hegarty covers central Pasco news. He can be reached at 813 909-4602 or toll-free 1-800-333-7505, ext. 4602. His e-mail address is hegarty@sptimes.com
