Lake St. Clair Metro Park closed for 3rd time this month for E. coli levels

(WJBK) - Deep in the heat of a Michigan summer and there is something you count on - the beach at Lake St. Clair Metro Park will be closed for swimming. 

The beach is closed due to high levels of E. coli, a bacteria that can come from many sources, like rain water run-off, excessive animal waste or untreated sewage flowing into the lake and can make you seriously sick to your stomach

"We live a couple miles from here we come here all the time every summer," said Elona Guberaj. "And every summer it is the same problem."

"I don't want to be sick," said Brittny Johnson. "And I don't want the kids sick. But I wish they would have let us know, though. They should have it up on their website."

It happened in July 2015, in July of 2016 and now for the third time alone this month it has happened again.

"As soon as I pulled up I see the beach is closed," Johnson said. "They couldn't tell me why. I was frustrated about it because we have a pretty day today and we don't have a lot of pretty days left in Michigan."

Pollution in Lake St. Clair is a story that FOX 2 has reported on in the past. Just this March, FOX 2 told you how an estimated 200,000 gallons of raw sewage each year was found to be flowing from an apartment complex into the lake due to a construction mistake in 1985.
 
It is unknown if other sources of contamination are still making it ways to the same waters. 

"Even the last time we couldn't go in because there is a lot of dead fish on the shore," said Guberaj.

The Macomb County Health Department tests the water at the beach throughout the summer every Monday and Wednesday.  When it finds elevated levels, the beach is closed until levels return to normal.

FOX 2 is told an annual membership to the Metro Park costs $35 a year, giving you access to the waterpark, splash pad, and other activities and of course the beach itself. But when it's closed, some say not getting money's worth.

"I wish we knew. We would have gone somewhere else," said Guberaj. "But the kids have fun playing in the sand."

The health department also deemed Veterans Memorial Park in St. Clair Shores unsafe for swimming. The tests were taken on Monday and the results are expected Tuesday morning.