Fecal bacteria advisory removed from Ellacoya State Park

GILFORD — The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services on Friday removed a fecal bacteria advisory from Ellacoya State Park. 

The state’s environmental services department also removed seven other fecal bacteria advisories across the state. 

The warning was issued to Gilford residents on Aug. 28, and removed Friday afternoon. 

The only remaining active fecal bacteria warning statewide was for New Castle Town Beach and was issued on Aug. 29.

NH DES, through its Beach Inspection Program, tests for the presence of fecal bacteria in freshwater and coastal beaches statewide. NHDES does not take samples at every beach — some are tested by towns, other government agencies or by the owners of private beaches. No beach is sampled every day. 

E. coli is used as the indicator fecal bacteria at freshwater beaches and enterococci is used at coastal beaches. A freshwater beach advisory is issued if one sample exceeds 158 MPN/100 mL or if two samples exceed 88 MPN/100 mL. 

When an advisory is issued, resampling will be conducted the following day and will continue until the fecal bacteria levels do not exceed the state threshold for an advisory. 

“Please be cautious when swimming in any natural waterbody as pathogenic organisms may be present and avoid swallowing or consuming water at any public beach,” reads NHDES guidance on fecal bacteria. 

According to NHDES, E. coli is one of the most common forms of fecal bacteria. It’s a normal component of the large intestines in humans and other warm-blooded animals. It’s also found in human sewage in high concentrations. If sewage is present in water, pathogenic or disease-causing organisms may also be present.

Disease-causing organisms leave an infected individual through their feces, according to NHDES, and may be discharged into surface waters. Water-borne diseases include typhoid, cholera, enteric fevers and bacterial dysentery. It’s not feasible to test all samples for every disease, according to NHDES, so they use the presence of fecal bacteria as an indicator of statistical likelihood of contracting such a disease by consuming or recreating in contaminated waters. 

Members of the public interested in checking daily changes at their local beaches can visit the NH DES Healthy Swimming Mapper at des.nh.gov/water/healthy-swimming/healthy-swimming-mapper.

Active cyanobacteria watches and warnings remained on numerous areas of Lake Winnipesaukee Friday afternoon. 

In the Wolfeboro area, a cyanobacteria warning remained active since its issuance on Aug. 19. Another on Lake Wentworth in Wolfeboro was issued Aug. 26 and remained in place. Locke Lake in Barnstead had a warning in place as of Aug. 26. The Broads of Lake Winnipesaukee had a warning of its own since Aug. 27, the Governors Island area had a warning issued Aug. 27. 

There were also cyanobacteria watches in place throughout the Lakes Region. Lake Winnipesaukee in the Alton Bay area had a watch issued on Aug. 19, in the Tuftonboro area on Aug. 27 and another on Lake Kanasatka in Moultonborough was in place after it was issued on Aug. 28.