CLEVELAND — Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial kick-off for beach-goers heading back to their favorite spots. Although many people do not consider the water quality of where they go before jumping in. 

Brittany Dalton, Environmental Compliance Inspector at Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, is part of a team that tests water quality at many spots in Cleveland. She grabs bacteria and turbidity samples each morning.

“Both of those things just allow us to see first, how much bacteria is in the water at any given point and then how much suspended particles, or just how cloudy the water is essentially,” Dalton said. 

There are many factors that go into water quality. Jeannie Smith, Senior Manager of Communications and Community Relations at Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, said one of those is weather.

“One thing to keep in mind is when it does rain, water quality can change. You’re looking at runoff that can make its way into the local waterways. So people always want to be very cognizant not to enter the water after a rain,” Smith said. 

The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District heavily encourages people to check their website to look at the water quality each day before heading to the beach. It’s an important thing to consider based on health.

“If we have high levels of bacteria, it’s not safe for the public, especially young children or more vulnerable people, to be swimming in the water. So, it’s a public health and safety issue,” Dalton said.