SOUTH BASS ISLAND Water and sewer service eyed after 1,412 get sick

The illness that sickened so many this summer hasn't been identified.
PUT-IN-BAY, Ohio (AP) -- Interest in expanding water and sewer service has increased on a Lake Erie resort island where hundreds have become ill.
Workers could begin installing pipes by the end of September to extend sewer service to about a dozen homes and three businesses just outside this tourist village on South Bass Island.
Under long-range plans, water wells and septic systems scrutinized during the outbreak could be replaced.
"We've had a tremendous increase in people interested," said David Gruet, village administrator. "We always had interest, but now there's been a lot more interest."
Illness not identified
Authorities have not identified what caused the gastrointestinal illness that sickened 1,412 people during the summer. The symptoms, including nausea, chills, fever, abdominal cramps and diarrhea, generally last about 24 hours.
State and county testing has found E. coli or total coliform in private wells, which could signal the presence of other harmful bacteria.
During the summer, up to 15,000 people a day visit the island, which offers bed and breakfast inns, wineries, beaches and bars.
Most businesses catering to tourists receive water from the municipal system, which has tested negative for contamination.
The village council last week approved an ordinance that would allow developers of water and sewer lines to recoup some of the construction costs from businesses and homes that tap into the systems.
Chances increase
The island's thin soil cover and cracked limestone subsurface increase the chances of contamination of well water, said Rebecca Fugitt, a geologist who works for the Ohio Department of Health.
The depth of the wells also could contribute to potential problems, she said. Logs of well construction on South Bass Island show that many were dug 25 feet down, the minimum required by 1981 state regulations. Deeper wells draw water farther from potential sources of contamination.
Under a master plan developed last year, municipal water and sewer service would be available for at least most of the island. Put-in-Bay would expand its plants to handle the additional customers.
The village plans to enlarge both plants, starting as early as next year, Gruet said.
Matthew Miller, a Put-in-Bay Township trustee, said the issue has moved to the forefront.
"A lot of people would like to get on the village system," he said.