After Burlington, Vermont, beaches closed this weekend due to detection of bacteria in the water and poor air quality, the Burlington Parks Department announced that they are once again open to the public.
The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources issued an air quality alert for "very unhealthy" air this weekend, which has since improved to "good," making the beaches safer. Water quality and an on-site bacteria screening also came back negative, as reported by NBC affiliate WPTZ.
Water quality at Lake Champlain is tested routinely during the summer swimming season, with a focus on testing for cyanobacteria, also called “blue-green algae,” and e-coli.
The parks department will continue to monitor public swimming areas daily and will update the public on their website. Air quality alerts will also be updated here.
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Officials do warn that similar closures can be expected in the coming months due to both cyanobacteria and poor air quality.
