How Healthy Are Wisconsin`s Lakes? E. Coli Levels Cause Beach Closures

Before sticking a toe in your local lake to find out if the water is warm enough to venture in, beachgoers in Wisconsin might want to find out if it’s clean enough.

On the Fourth of July, South Shore Beach in Milwaukee was closed for high bacteria levels. Testing showed E. coli bacteria in Lake Michigan along the beach exceeded 1,000 colony-forming units (cfu) per 100 milliliters, said Nick Tomaro, public health emergency response planning coordinator with the Milwaukee Health Department.

The closure was lifted Friday, but the beach remains under advisory...