So, You're Concerned About the Water?

So, You're Concerned About the Water?

Update- We tested the water at all three beaches during the summer-

We test for ph, total coliform and fecal.

For reference:

7.0 is ph neutral
2400 parts total coliform is where it would be tested more often, at 5,000 parts it becomes a concern.
Less that 200 parts fecal is good, it becomes a concern at 1000

We tested on the following dates and the results are as follows:

(note that there may be more testings that are not represented here- not due to any deletion of content- but due purely to my lack of note taking skills at meetings, or anywhere for that matter- I can tell you that none of the readings were concerning at all. I will update this with any changes as soon as I can call Rita and check- but what follows are the ones I am sure of) :

June 17- at Beach 1- total was 30 parts, fecal was less than 2
at Beach 2- total was 50 parts, fecal was 11

July 1- Beach 1- total was 30, fecal was 8

July 15 Beach 3- total was 3, fecal was 4

July 29- Beach 2 - total was 30, fecal was 11

Aug 12- Beach 2- total was 240, fecal was 2 (240 although not high or dangerous, is more than is usual for our lake- this tends to happen after periods of heavy rain- it clears up in a day or so. )

ph was tested 2x once it was 7.2, once it was 7.4

So....are there still concerns about the cleanliness of the lake? Please email us at lpcainfo@lakepanamoka.net if you have any. We will be glad to address them.

A family moved in a few doors down from me and I approached them about becoming LPCA members. In addition to having a say in what happens in the community, they have a child that I thought would really love the lake.

I was surprised at what the father said.

"I heard the lake isn't fit to swim in."

Someone in our community delivered that message!

Ok, so there is some misinformation kicking around that we need to address.

First of all, remember that we don't allow powerboats on the lake. There is no oily film on the water or our children. The use of paddle boats and sailboats preserve the condition of the lake. As an additional benefit, we can listen to the sounds of the water lapping onto the shore and hear our kids laughing without having to compete with the sounds of powerboats.

Additionally, the lake is regularly tested. Over the summer months, it is generally tested 7-8 times depending on the need. We work with a company called H2M Labs in Melville. Included are tests for fecal bacteria and total coliform- probably the things we would be most worried about- waste human or animal, in our lake. High amounts would indicate possible sewage contamination, something none of us would relish.

A lot of you know Rita Biss. She has been a resident of the community for a long time. Her father built their house in the 40's. She has been responsible for making sure the lake gets tested for the past ten years.

Occasionally we do see levels that are higher than we would like, although never at dangerous levels or above what is acceptable. This is when we test more often. Usually higher than expected levels are attributed to runoff from heavy rains- when we test again, invariably, the levels are down. But the important thing to know is that if we see something that could potentially become a problem, we test again within a few days - Our kids are in this lake.

Not one time in the last ten years, has the lake had to be closed. Not once.

Over the course of the summer samples will be taken from all three beaches making sure that our swimming areas are safe from harmful bacteria.

I certainly understand having concerns. If you have any additional questions please contact us.

631-929-8883 or lpcainfo@lakepanamoka.net