News Release 552

LAKE OF THE OZARKS E. COLI TESTING FINDS NO SAMPLES  OVER FEDERAL SUGGESTED MAXIMUM LEVELS

Volume 36-552

Contact: Larry Archer

(For immediate release)

573-751-3807

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, SEPT. 10, 2008 -- The most recent round of water testing at the Lake of the Ozarks found no samples with E. coli bacteria in excess of the federal suggested maximum level for waters used for whole body contact for recreation, according to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

The department tested 55 samples drawn from the lake Sept. 2 at sites between the Lake of the Ozarks Community Toll Bridge and mile marker 30. The samples were the fifth of six scheduled monthly for the Lake of the Ozarks. The complete test results are available online at www.lmvp.org/LOWA/ecoli.htm.

The areas sampled in September were the same as those tested in July, which also had no cases of E. coli bacteria at levels higher than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's suggested maximum level for a single sample taken at a beach or designated swimming area. EPA's suggested maximum level for test results of a single sample taken at a beach is 235 E. coli colonies per 100 milliliters of water.

Missouri's water quality standard for such waters is a geometric mean, which is a statistical method used to analyze data collected over a period of time. Because multiple results are required to generate a geometric mean, a single test result cannot be compared to the state standard. A geometric mean based on this season's testing will be determined after the October testing is completed.

The state water quality standard is 126 E. coli colonies per 100 milliliters of water during the entire recreational season of April 1 to Oct. 31. This standard is based on the current risk level accepted by EPA of eight people in 1,000, or less than one percent, over the recreational season becoming ill as a result of swimming in the water.

The department's Division of State Parks operates two public beaches at Lake of the Ozarks State Park -- Public Beach #1 and the Grand Glaize Beach. The department samples water weekly at both beaches and posts warnings if warranted to ensure a safe public swimming area.  Neither beach is on a cove being tested as part of this year's larger monitoring project. While the larger project is to assess the overall condition of Lake of the Ozarks, the weekly sampling of the state park beaches is a separate effort to determine the week-to-week suitability for swimming at those specific beaches.

E. coli is a bacteria found in the intestinal tract of warm-blooded animals, including humans.  Some strains of E. coli can cause gastrointestinal illness.  These bacteria can reach lake water from many different sources, both human and animal.  For some people, such as children, elderly or those with weakened immune systems, even low levels of these bacteria may cause illness.

Between now and October, the Department of Natural Resources, in partnership with the Department of Conservation, Ameren UE and the Lake of the Ozarks Watershed Alliance, will test coves from the Community Toll Bridge to mile marker 30. This is the second year of testing for the Lake of the Ozarks. When completed, the water testing will include coves from Bagnell Dam to Truman Dam.

For more information on E. coli and the testing program visit the department's Web site at www.dnr.mo.gov/pubs/pub2239.pdf.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Web site has additional information on swimming-related illness: www.cdc.gov/healthyswimming/general_pub.htm.

You may contact the Department of Health and Senior Services' Bureau of Environmental Regulations and Licensure at 573-751-6095 for more information on the possible health effects of
E. coli.

For Department of Natural Resources news releases on the Web, visit www.dnr.mo.gov/newsrel. For a complete listing of the department's upcoming meetings, hearings and events, visit the department's online calendar at www.dnr.mo.gov/calendar/search.do.

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