E. coli warnings rarely seen on private property

WESTMINSTER, Vt.—State officials are quick to close down public swimming areas when they show high levels of bacteria, but they caution that swimming holes on private properties often carry the same risk and are rarely posted with warning signs.

Escherichia coli are bacteria that come from human and animal feces and can sicken swimmers who come into contact with them. The state sets a safety limit of 77 colony-forming units per mililiter.

One popular swimming hole in Westminster, Sandy Beach on the Saxton's River, recently showed 186 colony-forming units per mililiter -- more than twice the acceptable limit.

But Sandy Beach, like many other swimming holes in Vermont, is on private land. And there's no formal regulatory mechanism for shutting them down when E. coli levels are high.

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Information from: Rutland Herald, http://www.rutlandherald.com/