Tests performed on West Point Lake on Thursday show levels of the bacteria fecal coliform to be 10 times below the level deemed allowable by Georgia Environmental Protection Division.

The results refute reports in some Atlanta media earlier this week that the lake was unsafe for recreation. As a result of last week’s flood, levels of bacteria and fecal coliform did go up on the Chattahoochee River and still are high at the lake’s headwaters at the Chattahoochee in Franklin. City of LaGrange officials, who test regularly for fecal coliform, said the levels dropped precipitously as one went farther down the lake, even last week at the height of the flood. They expected levels to drop even more and the results of this week’s test confirmed that.

The fecal coliform test is the “canary in the well” test for other forms of bacteria, such as e coli. Fecal coliform, present in the digestive tracts of all mammals, is always present in the lake, but does go up during times of heavy rain, said Tim Cash, assistant branch chief for the Chattahoochee and Flint river basins at Georgia EPD.

The state is continuing to monitor 10 sites around the Atlanta metro area where bacteria is believed to be a problem, Cash said. La-Grange and West Point Lake are not on that danger list.

“We will continue to monitor (the 10 sites) until all the sewage spills we know of are cleaned up and all the wastewater treatment plants are back to normal,” Cash said.

Cash also said bacteria in the water reported around Franklin isn’t necessarily from metro Atlanta, but sites closer to Franklin, such as animal feed lots and leaking septic tanks.

Although Cash and local officials said the lake wasn’t safe for swimming at the previous higher levels, boating, fishing and other recreation activities are still safe. With this week’s drop in temperatures, few, if any, swimmers were on the lake.

“I have been working on the lake and I’ve seen plenty of people out there boating and fishing,” said Joe Maltese, LaGrange’s point-man on West Point Lake.

Those who fish or recreate on the lake while fecal coliform numbers are high should use basic precautions, Cash said. Limit body contact with the water and wash your hands when you come off the lake.

Fish are safe to eat and LaGrange’s treated drinking water supply is safe, said Patrick Bowie, LaGrange utilities director.

“Our treatment process uses multiple stages of treatment and several disinfectants to ensure the public is protected,” Bowie said.

Bowie said the “vast majority” of contaminants fall to the bottom of the city’s settling basins following the addition of aluminum potassium sulfate, known as alum.

“Studies show (what settles) can be as much as 99 percent of viruses and 90 percent of bacterial contamination,” Bowie said. “What doesn’t settle out is removed by sand filtration, with any residual amounts inactivated by the potassium permanganate, chlorine, and chlorine dioxide that we add to the water.”

Maltese said debris on the lake is a bigger concern - to him - than possible bacteria. Large debris piles have been reported around West Point Lake in the wake of the flood.

“Mother Nature will take care of bacteria,” he said, meaning it will eventually dilute out of the water. “That debris is going to stay there until someone picks it up.”

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers already has worked to remove some of the debris and the state Department of Transportation cleared debris from the Ga. 219 bridge earlier this week. The annual West Point Lake Coalition cleanup is scheduled for Nov. 7, after being postponed because of the flood.

Jennifer Shrader may be reached at jshrader@ lagrangenews.com or at (706) 884-7311, Ext. 236.