Kettletown Reopens Following Failed Water Quality Test

The swimming area at Kettletown State Park in Southbury has been reopened after additional tests revealed adequate water quality levels.

Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) officials closed the park to swimmers on Tuesday when test results showed higher than ordinary levels of bacteria.

Water samples from the swimming area at Kettletown were analyzed at a Department of Public Health lab. Samples are analyzed for indicator bacteria to evaluate the potential contamination of water bodies, according to DEEP spokesman Dwayne Gardner.

After the indicator bacteria at Kettletown exceed the public health criteria, it was resampled and reopened when the indicator bacteria fell below the appropriate level.

“Connecticut has worked tirelessly for years to improve the water quality at all of our state beaches and the efforts have resulted in a significant decrease in the days that we have to close our swimming areas,” said Esty.

It was the first closure of Kettletown this season, but the park was closed on three occasions in 2011.

“Kettletown closes less than most state swimming areas,” he said. “It has happen before though.”