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Bridgton Closes Public Beach Due To E Coli Levels

For the second time this in July, the Cumberland County town of Bridgton has closed a public beach due to water contamination, but for two different reasons. The town says that a routine water test performed on Monday found higher than acceptable levels of E coli.

Town Manager Robert Peabody says the cause isn't yet clear, but ducks could be the culprit.

“Which is aggravated by people feeding them, so they are tending to flock to that area. We also know that they water level has been low for the lake, so you're not getting as much movement.”

Peabody says the town did more tests Tuesday morning. He says that if the E coli count has dropped to an acceptable level, Highland Lake Beach could reopen tomorrow.

Earlier this month, Bridgton closed Woods Pond Beach for several days. The Maine Center for Disease Control determined a Norovirus outbreak sickened almost a hundred people.

Ed is a Maine native who spent his early childhood in Livermore Falls before moving to Farmington. He graduated from Mount Blue High School in 1970 before going to the University of Maine at Orono where he received his BA in speech in 1974 with a broadcast concentration. It was during that time that he first became involved with public broadcasting. He served as an intern for what was then called MPBN TV and also did volunteer work for MPBN Radio.