Fairhope, Alabama
Update: The retest on Monday June 12th was 20c/100ml.
AT MUNICIPAL BEACH THURSDAY
Despite signs warning of possible poor water quality, sunbathers and geese were cooling off together at municipal beach today.
Water quality has been questionable there since Wednesday's reading of 400, and the re-test on Thursday of 1020 -- the second-largest ever measured since the testing program began in 2006. (Largest was a 1588 in June of 2010)
Readings often spike after heavy rain, then dissipate rapidly; the signs do not indicate current water quality, only the most recent data (in this case from last Thursday's sample)
The last rain was Tuesday evening/night.
HIGH ELSEWHERE TOO
Red warnings were still posted at the Volanta/Yacht Club beach and Orange Street/Pier beach as well where most-recent tests measured 613 and 313 respectively.
104 (colonies/100ml) is the maximum recommended by the EPA.
Results from water samples collected Friday will not be announced until Monday, when new samples will be collected.
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS WEIGH IN
When asked about it by a Times reporter after Friday's Environmental Committee meeting, member Gary Gover said he had counted over 120 geese and was worried swimmers could become ill; committee chairman Mike Shelton thought letting grass grow higher in the duck pond area would help reduce goose population there -- since they only eat the new green "shoots."
Shelton actually trains the citizen-volunteers who collect the water samples as part of the Alabama Water Watch Program (click).
A study done five years ago revealed markers for both of human and animal bacteria: including geese, cows, and birds (seagulls).
Most-recent results for municipal beach:
Update: The retest on Monday June 12th was 20c/100ml.
 |
| Municipal beach today |
AT MUNICIPAL BEACH THURSDAY
Despite signs warning of possible poor water quality, sunbathers and geese were cooling off together at municipal beach today.
Water quality has been questionable there since Wednesday's reading of 400, and the re-test on Thursday of 1020 -- the second-largest ever measured since the testing program began in 2006. (Largest was a 1588 in June of 2010)Readings often spike after heavy rain, then dissipate rapidly; the signs do not indicate current water quality, only the most recent data (in this case from last Thursday's sample)
The last rain was Tuesday evening/night.
HIGH ELSEWHERE TOO
 |
| Orange Ave. pier |
104 (colonies/100ml) is the maximum recommended by the EPA.
Results from water samples collected Friday will not be announced until Monday, when new samples will be collected.
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS WEIGH IN
When asked about it by a Times reporter after Friday's Environmental Committee meeting, member Gary Gover said he had counted over 120 geese and was worried swimmers could become ill; committee chairman Mike Shelton thought letting grass grow higher in the duck pond area would help reduce goose population there -- since they only eat the new green "shoots."
 |
| environmental committee |
A study done five years ago revealed markers for both of human and animal bacteria: including geese, cows, and birds (seagulls).
Most-recent results for municipal beach:
Comments
All of the money in the world won't be able to redeem Fairhope if we don't demand answers from our City Council (and Baldwin county, etc) now!
Also, could we possibly get the State or Federal government to attend some of our Council meetings when we discuss Fly Creek apartments, sewer system problems, etc? I am beginning to believe that our Council is making a lot of money on the side by sidelining important infrastructure issues.