Surface water is just that - any water that is on the surface of the ground. The LPCHD will test surface water that is on the ground at their discretion. In some instances, an environmental health specialist will want to have water tested that is pooling on the ground’s surface. It may be from a failing septic system.

LPCHD will test any recreational waters in LaPorte County at our discretion. This includes bathing beaches, creeks, tributaries, ditches, lakes and streams. Historically, the most common microbiological tests to assess the water quality have been total and fecal coliform tests. We use the Colilert method that tests for total coliform and E.coli. Ideally, recreational water quality indicators are microorganisms for which densities in the water can be related quantitatively to potential health hazards resulting from recreational use, especially when upper body orifices are exposed to water. The ideal indicator is the one with the best correlation between density and health hazards associated with a given type of pollution.

Water Sampling

Water Sampling

The potential sources of infectious agents in recreational waters include; untreated or poorly treated municipal and industrial effluents or sludge, failing or malfunctioning septic systems, fecal wastes from boats, drainage from sanitary landfills, storm water runoff from rural, suburban and urban areas, flooding, animal and human wastes. Exposure to untreated or inadequately treated human fecal wastes is the greatest health hazard.

In general, infections and diseases associated with recreational water fall into two categories. Gastroenteritis, inflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines, results from unintentional ingestion of water that is contaminated with E.coli. Intestinal microorganisms that have been shown to cause gastroenteritis from recreational water contact include Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Shigella, Salmonella, E.coli 0157:H7, Hepatitis A, Coxsackie A and B, and Norwalk virus. Leptospirosis, caused by infected animals, is not an intestinal infection but also is transmitted through contact with waters contaminated with E.coli. The second group or category of infections or diseases is associated with microorganisms that are found in the environment, which may include the following: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus sp., Legionella sp., Naegleria fowleri, Mycobacterium sp., and Vibrio sp. The illnesses or water borne diseases caused by these organisms include dermatitis or folliculitis, swimmer’s ear, Pontiac fever, open skin sores, swelling of the brain, and pink eye.

Due to the impact that these infections and diseases have on human health, we test recreational beaches seven days a week. Please check our home page for daily results.