Center and Winona Lake beaches reopened this morning after being closed since Tuesday morning due to high E. coli levels.
The Warsaw Park Department was advised Tuesday at 11 a.m. by the Kosciusko County Health Department to close Center Lake beach, according to Park Superintendent Jon Garber.
Warsaw Park Department employees put up a "no swimming" sign at Center Lake beach Tuesday morning.
Winona Lake Park Department employees also were notified to close Winona Lake beach and put up caution tape.
Josh Stork, intern for the Kosciusko County Health Department, took water samples at Center Lake and Winona Lake beaches Monday and said samples showed high E. coli levels in the lakes Tuesday morning.
The department conducts the E. coli testing every year from Memorial Day until Labor Day. The testing is done at the department's facility and takes 24 hours to complete.
There were four water samples taken Tuesday each on Center and Winona Lake beaches.
Water samples from Tuesday were tested this morning and water levels were found to not have high E. coli levels.
Both beaches reopened at 9 a.m. this morning, according to Kosciusko County Health Department Administrator Bob Weaver.
"Today is a good day for the beaches to reopen with the warm temperatures," Weaver said.
A health department employee is sent out to test the water at two sites at the bathing area at a minimum of 25 feet from shore.
If tests show there are more than 235 colonies of E. Coli per 100 milliliters of water, the beach is closed. The department takes two water samples from each site every Monday.
Two samples taken the same day with E. coli counts of less than 235 colonies per 100 milliliters of water is required for reopening of the beach to the public.
The last time a beach in Warsaw was closed due to high E. coli levels was Pike Lake in June. Pike Lake is open.
Warsaw Park Department employees took down the no swimming sign at Center Lake beach this morning.
