Is it safe to swim? Chattahoochee Riverkeeper's Swim Guide will give water quality reports
The Chattahoochee Riverkeeper is launching a swim guide this summer to let swimmers know which areas are safe and which areas to avoid.
The guide includes maps with red or green lights to help people decide if their local waterways are safe for recreation.
A red X indicates an area is high risk, with an E. coli level greater than 235 most probable number (MPN) per 100 milliliters.
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A green checkmark indicates low risk, with an E. coli level less than 235 per 100 milliliters.
The guide provides water quality updates for popular recreation spots, including Lake Lanier, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, West Point Lake and the Chattahoochee River in Columbus.
'We often get asked, 'Is it safe to swim here?'' says Jess Sterling technical programs director with Chattahoochee Riverkeeper. 'There are a lot of misconceptions about water quality in the Chattahoochee River, so the goal of Swim Guide is to publish a resource about water quality conditions so the community can have fun on the river and be as safe as possible.'
The Chattahoochee Riverkeeper will collect and analyze water samples every Thursday from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
They will publish a series of maps every Friday with water quality conditions on Facebook, Instagram and the Swim Guide website.
Even with this advisory system, people should still be cautious about water quality.
Conditions can change quickly, and samples are taken only once a week.
Chattahoochee Riverkeeper says if it has rained in the last 48 hours, if the river is high and muddy or if the lake is bright green, think twice before coming into contact with the water.
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A high bacteria level in the water can contribute to cloudy water and unpleasant odors, the Environmental Protection Agency says, and is an indicator that the water has been contaminated by feces.
It pays to be cautious.
People who swim or come in contact with water with elevated levels of E. coli and other organisms can get sick, the EPA reported.
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People at higher risk for infections include children younger than 5, adults 65 and older and people with weakened immune systems, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
The Chattahoochee Riverkeeper monitors water quality at more than 300 stream, river and lake sites all year on a weekly basis through the Neighborhood Water Watch program, available to the public on the Neighborhood Water Watch database.
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