One out of fifty water samples taken in the lake after the Labor Day holiday came back with E. coli levels above the E.P.A. standard. 

    The September tests are in and only one point in Laurie Hollow Cove just north of the Hurricane Deck Bridge came back with 378.4 E. coli colonies per 100 milliliters of water.  The Environmental Protection Agency standard for safety is 235 colonies per 100 milliliters.  Four other tests in the same cove came back with very low numbers, 5.2, 13.1, 40.4 and 13.4.  The testing that was done back in July at these same points also turned up one point in the cove that exceeded the maximum E. coli level. 

    Today, staff from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Southwest Regional office will travel to the cove and check all facilities that hold MoDNR issued permits. They will then determine if the wastewater treatment facilities dumping of effluent is a contributing factor to the high levels in Laurie Hollow.

    This is the third year of E. coli testing from the Bagnell Dam to the Truman Dam with this year's tests focusing on the Niangua Arm, Linn Creek and Hurricane Deck areas of the lake.