Brown's Beach to stay closed as source of E. coli is sought

"No Swimming" signs are posted at Brown's Beach on Saratoga Lake on Friday July 15, 2016, due to possible water contamination.

The only public beach on Saratoga Lake will remain closed indefinitely while officials search for the source of E. coli bacteria contamination in the water.

Brown’s Beach, at the southeast corner of the lake, was closed on July 7 by order of the state Health Department based on the bacteria levels. There is no timetable for when it will be able to reopen.

The town of Stillwater is trying to figure out what’s gone wrong at the town-owned beach, which opened to the public just last year.

“We’re testing our entire waterfront. We want to know where this is coming from,” said Town Supervisor Edward Kinowski.

Kinowski is dismissive of the idea that the contamination is related to a July 4 sewage spill, which occurred farther north along the east side of the lake. In that incident, about 5,000 gallons of raw sewage flowed into the lake after an equipment failure at a county sewage pumping station.

“From the samples we took on Monday, we can rule out anything that happened to the north,” Kinowski said.

Among his suspicions are that the source could be animal waste in stormwater runoff that goes into the lake, a failed septic system at a private residence, or dumping of septic waste from boats.

Kinowski has also speculated that seagull droppings were responsible. He said a large community of the birds took up residence in the area of the beach this year.

“We don’t know until we have all the information,” he said.

E. coli is still being found near the beach, he said, although it isn’t present farther east along the town’s 700-foot lake frontage.

Conditions in other parts of the lake, which is four miles long and also borders Malta, Saratoga Springs and the town of Saratoga, are unknown. Only the area around Brown’s Beach has been tested by the state because it’s where people have been legally able to swim.

The Department of Health is working with the town.

“The town of Stillwater has taken additional samples and once water quality improves and is below the state standard, the beach may reopen for swimming and wading,” the DOH said in a statement last week. “State DOH will continue to work with the town to evaluate potential sources of the bacteria and mitigation steps.”

The beach opened in May 2015, establishing a public swimming spot on the popular lake for the first time in a decade. The town purchased the property in 2013 for $4.1 million, preserving public access to the lake.