Lake Erie Beach

Source Information

Recreational public beaches in upstate New York are tested at least once every week typically from mid-June to September. Freshwater beaches in New York are posted when a single sample exceeds 235 E. coli / 100 ml or when the geometric mean of samples collected over a 30-day period exceeds 126 E. coli / 100 ml. Chapter I of the State Sanitary Code Subpart 6-2 includes more criteria for freshwater quality, but most monitoring agencies rely on the E. coli standard. In addition to traditional sampling methods, Erie County Department Of Health uses a software program called Virtual Beach from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) model to predict water quality. Each beach has its own model which generates results based on historical data.