The public beach at Queen City Lake will remain closed into next week as City of LaFayette officials continue investigating the source of elevated E. coli levels detected during routine water quality testing.
In an update released Friday, the city said daily testing has been conducted throughout the week to identify the cause of the elevated bacteria levels. While E. coli concentrations remain above normal, officials said the testing results have been inconclusive, prompting the city to expand its testing area in an effort to collect more comprehensive data.
City officials emphasized they do not want to draw conclusions before the investigation is complete and said continued data collection is critical to determining the source of the contamination.
The City of LaFayette is also working with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources for guidance on managing the non-native duck population at the lake, which officials believe could be a contributing factor to the elevated bacteria levels.
In addition, several residents have reported a sewer leak located some distance from the beach on a line owned by a private party. According to the city, officials have been in contact with the organization responsible for the line, and repairs are underway. The work is expected to be completed in the coming weeks.
The city thanked residents for their patience as the investigation continues.
Swimming at the public beach remains suspended until further notice.