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‘No contact’ advisory lifted on Jordan Lake after sewage overflow

Posted at 4:12 PM, Oct 04, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-05 16:06:30-04

Update (4:04 p.m. Oct. 5, 2018): The Ionia County health Department says that the “no contact” advisory for Jordan Lake was lifted Friday afternoon.  The department says additional water sampling by the Lakewood Wastewater Authority showed that E. coli levels were safe.

Original story: 

LAKE ODESSA, Mich. — The Ionia County Health Department is issuing an advisory after a sewage overflow led to increased E. coli levels in a creek that empties into Jordan Lake.

The ‘no body contact’ advisory for the lake was issued Thursday after testing showed the presence of the bacteria. The tests were prompted by a sewage overflow Tuesday at the Lakewood Wastewater Authority, which services the villages of Lake Odessa and Woodland as well as other properties in Odessa and Woodland townships.

Additional testing will be performed until the E. coli levels are back to normal, the health department said in a release.

E. coli is a bacteria that indicates fecal contamination when detected in surface water, according to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.

The presence of the bacteria means other potentially harmful contaminants might be present in the water, and ingestion or skin contact can lead to conditions such as diarrhea and hepatitis, the state’s website says.

Click here for more information on E. coli.