Environmental Health
BathingBeach Water Quality Monitoring – Summer Only
The Western Upper Peninsula District Health Department currently tests water quality weekly at 17 public bathing beaches across Gogebic, Ontonagon, Baraga, Houghton, and Keweenaw counties. Water quality parameters such as turbidity, temperature, and possible contamination sources are investigated at each beach. The water is then tested for the indicator organism E. coli.
According to the United States EPA, the presence of E. coli bacteria in large numbers indicates that fecal contamination has occurred and that harmful pathogens may be present in the water. Any beach with an unacceptable level of E. coli bacteria would be closed to swimming by the Health Department in order to protect public health until the contamination was cleared.
This project has been made possible by two grants from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) for testing the water quality at bathing beaches in the Western Upper Peninsula. These grant funds were allocated to the DEQ by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as authorized by the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act, and by the Clean Michigan Initiative Act.
Test results are updated daily by Health Department staff and may be viewed on the MDEQ’s beach website http://www.deq.state.mi.us/beach/.
For more information visit the EPA’s beach website at http://www.epa.gov/beaches/ or contact the Health Department.
Important!
A number of services provided by the Environmental Health Division require applications for permits to be submitted. Many of these are now available on-line as downloads by clicking on the appropriate buttons above and require Adobe Acrobat Reader™ OR a word processor capable of opening WORD documents to view or print. You can download Adobe Acrobat Reader FREE as well as a WORD file viewer and printer for FREE using the links below. The Acrobat Reader is a lengthy download on dialup.
Click here if you need the Microsoft Word™ Document Viewer
Click here if you need Adobe Acrobat Reader™
About the Environmental Health Program
The Environmental Health Division of Western U.P. District Health Department is responsible for the promotion of environmental health and disease reduction through a system of inspection programs, consultation, planning, educational outreach projects and, as a last resort, enforcement action. Staff performing these functions are known as “Sanitarians” or “Environmental Health Specialists.”
Should you have any questions regarding services, or have an environmental health concern, please contact your nearest office location. Immediate concerns should be directed to (906) 482-7382, Monday thru Friday, 8:00am to 4:00pm (EST).
Fees
The Environmental Health Division operates on a budget generated by service fees, state contracts and local contributions. Many of the inspection and licensing programs sponsored by the health department are accompanied by a fee. To obtain fee information:
