Beachgoers Beware: Bacteria Levels Rise In Western New York Area Waters

The arrival of summertime in Buffalo and Western New York means that throngs of people in the region start to come out from hibernation to do all the things that we're not able to do when the snow is on the ground.

Being in the 716 during the summertime is one of the best places to be. With all of our great festivals, events, concerts, and of course food we have in the Buffalo area, there is so much to do every day from May to October, that it's often hard to find time to do everything you want to put on your summer to-do calendar.

Of course, no matter how busy you want to be, one thing that has to be on your list is taking advantage of the great waterways we have in the region. Being uniquely situated at the confluence of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, we have access to something that most Americans don't: being adjacent to one of the largest bodies of fresh water in the world.

However, thanks to all of the industrialization we've had in Western New York, we often have to deal with inconveniences that make us unable to fully enjoy our position on the water in Buffalo.

E. coli Levels Are Elevated At Buffalo Area Beaches

Something that we have gotten used to in the Buffalo area is happening again and there's really nothing we can do about it other than wait.

After just about every rainstorm, we get warnings about increased levels of bacteria around our beaches in Western New York, which is something that is happening again right now, according to the Buffalo News.

Thanks to the combination of agricultural runoff, WNY's past history of industry, and Combined Sewer Overflows, dangerous levels of bacteria like e coli exists in our waters.

Warnings have been issued for beaches around the region, like Woodlawn Beach, Evangola, Beaver Island, and more, as levels are above what is considered safe.

While work has been done to mitigate these effects, unfortunately, it's a fact of life for those of us in the Buffalo area.

If you are heading to the beach, make sure you check that the water is safe before you get in it.