HAMILTON COUNTY, Ohio — Winton Lake has reopened to public activities multiple days after "elevated E. coli levels" were detected in the water, Great Parks said.
Hamilton County Public Health and the Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) first announced the lake's closure on May 20, saying sewage may have entered a creek that feeds into the lake.
Great Parks announced it had suspended all recreational activities at the lake after MSD and the health department responded to "concerning" sewage discharge. The health department said sewage discharge was observed on the northern side of the lake near the Winton Woods campground. They were notified on May 19 and said their environmental health specialists began investigating.
A nuisance investigation form filed on May 20 shows officials with HCPH, Great Parks and MSD met in the park and found a "surcharging manhole."
Great Parks said the decision to reopen the lake came after testing levels were found to be within "state and US EPA-recommended thresholds."
"It is OK to boat, fish and recreate at the lake," said Greg Kesterman, health commissioner for Hamilton County Public Health. "We still recommend good hand hygiene after water recreation."
This decision was also made after MSD reported that it had stopped the sewage discharge, Great Parks said.
On May 21, MSD said it is investigating a sanitary sewer line about one mile north of Winton Lake that may be the source of the leak. Those sewer lines were being evaluated for a possible blockage or break. MSD was also working to flush the sewer line between Waycross Road and Embassy Drive to determine the source of the issue, but the agency said the work was difficult because of the topography of the area.
Hear more from Hamilton County Public Health and MSD in the video below:
