Last summer Glen Lake suffered an E. coli outbreak and was closed to prevent illness among beach-goers.

But, according to the Goffstown Residents Association Web site, property owners near Glen Lake were not notified of the breakout directly by the town, but were left to discover the beach closure on their own in July 2006.

So, what happens this summer? Can those swimming in Glen Lake be assured they won’t become ill due to elevated levels of E. coli?

In fact, Glen Lake is not part of the state’s public beach testing program. As a result, the state and town encourage residents to become part of the Volunteer Lake Assessment Program in which volunteers take samples from lakes and test for E. coli levels or other public health safety concerns. But no one has stepped up to serve in that program.

The town tests periodically, usually in the hottest periods of the summer when E. coli levels can be elevated, according to Goffstown Town Administrator Sue Desruisseaux. But this is not done on any specific schedule and is not regulated by the state.

E. coli bacteria normally live inside the intestines but, in elevated quantities in lakes and other bodies of water, E. coli is the largest threat to public health in public swimming areas, according to health officials. E. coli contamination usually causes severe diarrhea, and can cause fever, vomiting and other symptoms. In some cases, E. coli exposure can lead to kidney failure and death, particularly in small children and the elderly.

Desruisseaux said Goffstown Health Inspector Ed Neveu ordered last year’s Glen Lake waterfront closure in July and will continue to collect water samples in the months ahead, as we approach the hot summer weather. Those samples will be sent to the state Department of Environmental Services for testing, though the DES is not responsible for ordering a beach shutdown, since Goffstown is not part of the state’s public beach inspection program.

Neveu could not be reached by press time to comment on the town’s water testing policy at Glen Lake, though, again, Desruisseax said he usually begins testing in the hottest weather.

E. coli can wind up in Glen Lake and other area bodies of water from failing septic systems in homes around the lake, *** from geese and other animals, and even from those swimming in the lake. Contamination also can occur from boaters discharging wastes directly into the water.

E. coli contamination in water is often highest immediately following a storm, because of the runoff.

However, after the April flooding in Goffstown, no one tested Glen Lake, according to Desruisseaux, again, because testing is usually done in the hot summer months by the town. Yet, in the week or two after the flooding, the weather was warm enough to attract some folks to the waterfront. She said perhaps testing should be considered after flooding in the future.

State DES Limnology Center Director Jody Connor said, “We certainly would love to have somebody from Glen Lake join the Volunteer Lake Assessment Program,” adding that volunteers would monitor the lake in June, July and August.

That program, which began in 1985, schedules sample-taking and DES experts accompany the volunteers during their first sample collection, with the volunteers later allowed to take samples on their own, according to Connor.

Goffstown resident Rebecca Caron has expressed interest in maintaining a clean waterway through lake monitoring. She moved to Glen Lake three years ago from San Diego. “There needs to be people who are going to look out for the lake,” she said.

Her husband, Guy Caron, is involved in informing local residents about Glen Lake water quality. He has collected contact information from residents in the area and Desruisseaux will be able to pass information along to him if there’s an E. coli outbreak this summer.

The town also informs residents of outbreaks by posting notices in the area, on the town’s Web site, and by informing local media, said Desruisseaux. Usually a sign is put up at Glen Lake beach.