DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

               DIVISION OF WATER AND RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION

                          PUBLIC BATHING BEACHES


(By authority conferred on the director of public health by section  12544
of Act No. 368 of the Public Acts of 1978, as amended, being S333.12544 of
the Michigan Compiled Laws)


R  325.2101   Definitions.
  Rule 1. (1) "Act" means sections 12541 to 12546 of Act No.  368  of  the
Public Acts of 1978, as amended, being SS 333.12541 to  333.12546  of  the
Michigan Compiled Laws.
  (2) "Bathing beach" means a beach or bathing area offered to the  public
for recreational bathing or swimming. It does not include a swimming  pool
as defined in section 12521 of Act No. 368 of the Public Acts of 1978,  as
amended, being S 333.12521 of the Michigan Compiled Laws.
  (3) "Escherichia coli" or "E. coli" means a bacteria which is  a  member
of the family enterobacteriaceae and which is the predominant  facultative
anaerobe in humans and warm-blooded animals. Therefore, it is an indicator
of the presence of human or animal fecal material in water.  The  organism
is  identified  by  a  variety  of  laboratory  methods  with   definitive
identifying characteristics described by Bergey's Manual  of  Bacteriology
(Williams and Wilkins, 9th Edition, 1994).
  (4)  "Geometric  mean"  means  the  antilog  of  the  summation  of  the
logarithms of the values for the samples examined divided by the number of
samples.
  (5) "Health officer" means the administrative officer of a city, county,
or district health department.
  (6) "Sanitary or environmental survey" means and  includes  all  of  the
following:
  (a) A survey and an evaluation of data of  the  applicable  contributory
watershed for pollution, including domestic, industrial,  commercial,  and
agricultural sources.
  (b) A survey and an evaluation of data of the bathing beach for  sources
of pollution and safety hazards, including  soil  conditions,  drop  offs,
water movement, and submerged and other hazardous objects.
  (c) Water depth in diving areas.
  (d) An evaluation of proposed or existing bathing and swimming loads.
  (7) "Standard methods" means the publication entitled  Standard  Methods
for the Examination of Water and  Wastewater,  18th  Edition  -  1992,  as
published by the American public health association,  the  American  water
works association, and the water environment federation. This  publication
is adopted by reference in these rules and is on file  and  available  for
inspection  in  the  Bureau  of  Environmental  and  Occupational  Health,
Michigan Department of Public Health, 3423 North Martin  Luther  King  Jr.
Blvd., Lansing, Michigan. Copies are available from  the  American  Public
Health Association, 1015 Fifteenth Street, N.W., Washington,  D.C.  20005.

  History:  1979 AC; 1995 AACS.

  Editor's note:  These rules were transmitted to the Joint  Committee  on
Administrative Rules on October 24, 1995. The rules were  filed  with  the
Secretary of State on November 21, 1995, while under consideration by  the
Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. Section 45(6) of Act No.  306  of
the Public Acts of 1969, as amended,  being  S24.245(6)  of  the  Michigan
Compiled Laws, provides: "After receipt by the committee of  the  agency's
letter of transmittal, the committee has 2 months in which to consider the
rule. If the committee by a majority vote determines that  added  time  is
needed to consider proposed rules, the committee may extend  the  time  it
has to consider a particular proposed rule by 1 month to a  total  of  not
longer than 3 months ..."


R  325.2102   Sanitation and safety determinations.
  Rule 2. (1) Bacterial concentrations in water at  a  bathing  beach,  as
determined  by  standard  methods,  shall  contain  not  more   than   130
Escherichia coli (E. coli) per 100  milliliters,  as  a  30-day  geometric
mean. Compliance shall be based on the geometric mean  of  all  individual
samples taken during 5 or more  sampling  events  representatively  spread
over a 30-day period. Each sampling event  shall  consist  of  3  or  more
samples taken at representative locations  within  a  designated  sampling
area. Bathing beach waters shall not contain more than a maximum of 300 E.
coli per 100 milliliters. Compliance shall be based on the geometric  mean
of  3  or  more  samples  taken  during  the  same   sampling   event   at
representative locations within a defined sampling area.
  (2) Chemical determinations shall follow standard methods and shall show
that the water is free of chemical substances capable  of  creating  toxic
reactions or irritations to the skin or membranes of a bather or  swimmer.
  (3) Physical determinations shall show the water to be free  of  all  of
the following:
  (a) Turbidity.
  (b) Color.
  (c) Deposits.
  (d) Growths.
  (e) Oils.
  (f) Greases.
  (g) Any other substances in the water capable of creating  a  health  or
safety hazard or a nuisance to a bather or swimmer.

  History:  1979 AC; 1995 AACS.

  Editor's note:  These rules were transmitted to the Joint  Committee  on
Administrative Rules on October 24, 1995. The rules were  filed  with  the
Secretary of State on November 21, 1995, while under consideration by  the
Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. Section 45(6) of Act No.  306  of
the Public Acts of 1969, as amended,  being  S24.245(6)  of  the  Michigan
Compiled Laws, provides: "After receipt by the committee of  the  agency's
letter of transmittal, the committee has 2 months in which to consider the
rule. If the committee by a majority vote determines that  added  time  is
needed to consider proposed rules, the committee may extend  the  time  it
has to consider a particular proposed rule by 1 month to a  total  of  not
longer than 3 months ..."


R  325.2103   Determination and closing of beaches.
  Rule  3.  (1)  When,  in  the  judgment  of  a  health  officer   having
jurisdiction, an evaluation of information provided by sanitary survey and
bacteriological, biologic, chemical, or physical  data  provides  evidence
that a bathing beach may be detrimental to the health  or  safety  of  the
bathers or swimmers, it shall be determined to be unsafe.
  (2) If voluntary closure of a bathing beach cannot be accomplished,  the
health officer shall take action as provided by section 12541 of the  act.

  History:  1979 AC; 1995 AACS.

  Editor's note:  These rules were transmitted to the Joint  Committee  on
Administrative Rules on October 24, 1995. The rules were  filed  with  the
Secretary of State on November 21, 1995, while under consideration by  the
Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. Section 45(6) of Act No.  306  of
the Public Acts of 1969, as amended,  being  S24.245(6)  of  the  Michigan
Compiled Laws, provides: "After receipt by the committee of  the  agency's
letter of transmittal, the committee has 2 months in which to consider the
rule. If the committee by a majority vote determines that  added  time  is
needed to consider proposed rules, the committee may extend  the  time  it
has to consider a particular proposed rule by 1 month to a  total  of  not
longer than 3 months ..."