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
16 July 2007

CITY ISLAND BEACH REOPENS; E-COLI READINGS IN RIVER REGISTER SAFE LEVELS

Mayor Stephen R. Reed today said Escherichia Coli, or E-Coli, bacteria readings in the Susquehanna River at the City Island Beach have fallen well within safe levels. Water samples taken on July 10th and 11th, 2007, which came back today, showed a quality level of less than ten colonies per 100 millimeters. Thus, City Island Beach is now reopened immediately to the public.

Tests are conducted daily by an independently contracted laboratory and are regularly reported to the state under Dept. of Health guidelines, which sets a maximum level of 235 colonies per 100 milliliters.

Mayor Reed said, “Beginning today, City Island Beach will resume its normal swimming schedule and hope that the e-coli levels continue to stay low so that swimming on City Island Beach may continue uninterrupted throughout the rest of the summer.”

The Mayor said the source or sources of higher levels of E-Coli remain a mystery. “We know it is coming from upstream of City Island and have our suspicions as to the sources but, thus far, cannot conclusively pinpoint or verify them.”