Inland Lake Beach Water Quality Monitoring Grants Awarded; New testing method to be used
WASHINGTON – (RealEstateRama) — Seven local governments will soon be using a new, rapid testing method known as quantitative polymerase chain reaction that counts the DNA of E. coli in a water sample thanks to grants provided by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ).
A total of 15 communities received $200,000 to monitor the water quality of 183 inland lake beaches. The results are posted on the MDEQ BeachGuard website at http://www.deq.state.mi.us/beach.
The recipients of the grant funding are indicated below; the asterisk indicates the recipient is using the new method.
Barry-Eaton District Health Department, $8,200 to monitor 4 beaches
Central Michigan District Health Department, $28,736 to monitor 14 beaches*
District Health Department No. 2, $26,200 to monitor 16 beaches*
District Health Department No. 4, $5,200 to monitor 2 beaches
District Health Department No. 10, $3,750 to monitor 6 beaches
Health Department of Northwest Michigan, $19,267 to monitor 19 beaches*
Lake Superior State University, $7,883 to monitor 3 beaches*
Luce-Mackinac-Alger-Schoolcraft District Health Department, $5,200 to monitor 2 beaches
Macomb County Health Department, $5,200 to monitor 2 beaches
Oakland County Health Division, $25,528 to monitor 75 beaches*
Public Health Muskegon County, $18,536 to monitor 15 beaches*
The Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay, $15,700 to monitor 9 beaches
Wayne County Department of Health, Veterans, and Community, $8,200 to monitor 4 beaches
Western Upper Peninsula Health Department, $11,200 to monitor 6 beaches
Wexford County Drain Commission, $11,200 to monitor 6 beaches*
Funding for these grants was made available through the Clean Michigan Initiative-Clean Water Fund.
Additional contact: Melody Kindraka, MDEQ Public Information Officer, 
Contact: Shannon Briggs, MDEQ Water Resources Division, 
Agency: Environmental Quality
