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E. coli testing in Mill Creek Park again yields mixed results
YOUNGSTOWN
Results from the first round of the Mahoning County District Board of Health’s 12-week E. coli water-testing program at Mill Creek Park that includes an expanded number of test sites yielded mixed results.
For the first seven weeks of the program, which was initiated after previous testing done in response to a massive fish kill in Lake Newport found elevated E. coli counts in the water, health board technicians collected three samples each from the same three testing sites: the Lake Newport boathouse on West Newport Drive, the Lake Newport boat launch and a footbridge over Mill Creek just north of Shields Road.
Samples collected near the footbridge consistently showed higher E. coli counts than samples collected at the other locations.
This week’s testing included two samples each from those sites, plus two samples each from six additional sites: a bridge at Smythe Island in the Newport Wetlands; the wetlands shore at Smythe Island; a walking trail off of U.S. Route 224 near the golf course; Old Calla Road near the Mill Creek Wildlife Sanctuary; the Anderson Run inlet; and the Cranberry Run inlet.
“The additional samples will continue to be collected in an attempt to isolate areas that may have contributed to the elevated E. coli levels in previous testing weeks,” Ryan Tekac, environmental health director for the health board, said in a statement.
E. coli counts from samples collected Wednesday, for the most part, were below 576, which is the threshold the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency considers to represent a potential public health risk.
Samples from the boathouse showed counts of 69 and 57 colony forming units, respectively, per 100 milliliters of water. Counts from the footbridge, boat launch, wetlands bridge, wetlands shore, Route 224 area, Old Calla Road, Cranberry Run and Anderson Run are as follows: 162 and 218; 30 and 29; 189 and 181; 258 and 383; 332 and 209; 564 and 616; 208 and 106; and 424 and 558.
The county health board will continue the testing program through the last week of October.