Pearce Lake reopens after high bacteria counts leads to unsafe water warnings

Pearce Lake reopens after high bacteria counts leads to unsafe water warnings

By Mark E. Vogler

Pearce Lake at Breakheart Reservation reopened yesterday, just in time to provide area residents with another source of relief from this week’s hot and humid weather. The beach had been closed for more than 10 days to swimmers because of “bacterial excedence,” which, according to the state Department of Public Health (DPH), means levels of E. coli exceeded acceptable levels.

“The superintendent at Breakheart said the bacteria count was high and it wasn’t unusual because they’ve had heavy rains,” said Peter Rossetti, Jr., a Precinct 2 Town Meeting member who serves on the Friends of Breakheart Reservation Board.

“It was basically due to the heavy rains and the runoff. It’s a public health issue. It can make people quite sick if they go in the water when the beach is supposed to be closed. We can’t force people to not go in the water, but we advise them that it’s not safe,” he said.

DPH’s Interactive Beaches Dashboard (https://www.mass.gov/info-details/interactive-beach-water-quality-dashboard) provides water quality testing results for the current beach season. It will tell you which beaches are open or closed. If a beach is closed, do not swim or enter the water at that location to avoid risk of illness, the state advises.

The DPH warns that swimming in “unsafe waters” may cause illnesses with the following characteristics:

• Dermatological symptoms – skin rash and itching
• Eye and ear symptoms – irritation, earache and itching
• Flu-like symptoms – fever and chills
• Gastrointestinal symptoms – nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain
• Respiratory symptoms – sore throat, cough, runny nose and sneezing

In another water safety matter, Rossetti noted that there is again a shortage of lifeguards locally and across the state. “There’s always a shortage of trained lifeguards. So, we have openings for qualified people,” Rossetti said.

“It’s fairly decent pay for people who are at least 16 and have a life-saving certificate,” he said.