A new initiative aims to reduce beach closures due to E. coli at four Madison locations.
Clean Lakes Alliance has partnered with Public Health Madison & Dane County to launch a pilot study to better understand the elevated E. coli levels that lead to the beach closures across the Yahara chain of lakes.
Dane County and the city of Madison will help fund the testing at Spring Harbor Beach on Lake Mendota, Olbrich Beach and Esther Beach on Lake Monona and Vilas Beach on Lake Wingra.
These locations were selected based on a history of high E. coli levels and frequent closures.
The pilot will use a more targeted testing approach where water samples will be collected after rainfall.
“Access to clean, safe beaches is fundamental to quality of life in our region,” James Tye, executive director of Clean Lakes Alliance, said in a statement. “When beaches close, it’s more than an inconvenience. It’s a signal that we need better data and smarter solutions.”
Findings from the pilot will inform future strategies to reduce contamination. They will also be used to improve beach safety.
“This effort is about moving from reactive closures to proactive solutions,” Brandon Macomber, environmental health services supervisor at Public Health Madison & Dane County, said in a statement. “By better understanding the drivers of E. coli contamination, we can protect public health and make more informed decisions for our community.”
The pilot will run throughout the summer of 2026.
