2 Detroit area beaches closed over E. coli

Two beaches in the Huron Clinton Metroparks system were closed Thursday because of elevated E. coli levels, park officials said.

The beach at Stony Creek and the beach at Lake St. Clair Metropark are closed. Other areas of each park are open during regular hours, officials said.

This is the fourth closure this season for the beach at Lake St. Clair Metropark.

Last summer, Michigan’s effort to provide faster and more reliable testing of the waters at its beaches began in earnest.

The new technology was designed to drastically reduce the number of days swimming areas are closed due to contamination by E. coli.

The closures wreak havoc with summer destinations such as the Lake St. Clair Metropark, whose popular beach area was closed more than 1-in-3 days last summer because of more rainfall than usual that overwhelmed local storm water systems.

Escherichia coli bacteria live in the intestines of people and animals and can be transmitted through contaminated water or food, or through contact with animals or persons, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.