NEWS INFORMATION FROM

THE OFFICE OF MAYOR STEPHEN R. REED
City of Harrisburg
King City Government Center
Harrisburg, PA 17101-1678
Telephone: 717.255.3040

FOR IMMEDIATE USE
10 July 2007

RIVER E-COLI LEVELS AGAIN CLOSE CITY ISLAND BEACH

Mayor Stephen R. Reed today said the City Island Beach is once again closed to the public due to elevated E-coli levels. Results of the city’s latest water quality tests, taken on Thursday and Friday, July 5 and 6, 2007, show that the levels have again risen above the state’s maximum quality level of 235 colonies per 100 milliliters, to over 1,000 colonies.

Per the state Department of Health’s rules, the beach must be closed until future test levels indicate the rate has fallen below 235 colonies. Testing has been conducted daily since the closure on July 3, 2007, and results should continually filter in daily. If those tests indicate the colonie level has fallen to below the maximum permissible amount, the beach will be reopened for swimming.

Even though the city is required to only test water quality at the public swimming area of the Island, the Mayor directed that additional testing be done on both sides of the Island to provide more factual and timely data about potential water quality problems throughout the river.

Reed said the city is only enforcing a ban on swimming at the public beach area on the northwestern side of City Island, as it has no authority to keep people out of the water elsewhere. “Today’s advisory serves as a warning to all persons that there may be elevated e-coli problems elsewhere in the river, and the public should respond accordingly.”

The Mayor said testing will continue frequently over the next several days to determine if the problem is continuing, and will respond accordingly once more information is collected.