You might not think the largest freshwater lake in the world would have problems with e-coli bacteria in the water of its beaches, but alerts are regularly issued through the summer on Lake Superior’s North Shore. Cindy Hakala with the state Health Department says, “This year they’re more concentrated in the Duluth area. Last year, we had a big storm go through about the middle of June and we had a bunch of advisories in Two Harbors, and this year they’re mostly in Duluth.”
Sewage overflows, leaky septic tanks and stormwater dump animal and human waste into Lake Superior. If the water is relatively calm, its temperature goes up, encouraging the growth of e-coli bacteria. Advisories are sometimes issued as far up the Shore as Grand Marais or Hovland. To view current alerts, visit mnbeaches.org. Hakala says you can also sign up for e-mail alerts when advisories are issued. And she says if you suspect you have a waterborne illness, you can call the state Health Department hotline at 877-FOOD-ILL.
More in this interview: