Mansion Beach E. Coli Levels Now Below State Maximums

Last week the water at Mansion Beach on Wayland's Dudley Pond showed E. coli levels of 240 colony forming units (CFUs), slightly above the state’s maximum contaminant level of 235.

This week, at 68 (CFUs), those levels are well below the state’s threshold for closing public beaches.

Surface Water Quality Committee (SWQC) member Mike Lowery said in an email report to town officials and media that the reasons for the sharp decline are unknown, but could be due to good weather, tactics used to deter geese from the area, pet owners cleaning up after their pets or a combination of factors.

Whatever the reason, “We're happy to see the situation improved,” Lowery wrote.

When the elevated levels of E. coli appeared in a June 28 test result, the Wayland Board of Health authorized the Wayland Health Department to erect warning signs at the beach, informing visitors of the levels and advising them to avoid wading or fishing in the water there. Because Mansion Beach is a de facto bathing beach, not an official beach maintained by the town, there was no official “closing” of the beach that could occur.

Still, the signs seemed to communicate the message. Lowery wrote that when he arrived at Mansion Beach to remove the signs after the acceptable lab report, “a fishing camp of kids was there” and was “delighted to be able to wade in and cast their lines.”

The SWQC agreed at its meeting Wednesday night to continue testing Dudley Pond throughout the duration of the summer season, most likely on a weekly basis. Samples cost $15 each to process and the SWQC voted 5-0 at Wednesday’s meeting to set aside $1,000 for the continued sampling. The regular testing, Lowery said, will help determine patterns in the levels.

The committee is considering four high traffic, high use sites around the pond, with a fifth arbitrary site to be tested occasionally.