All Paddock Lake beaches have been closed until further notice after sewage was dumped into the lake following a power outage Tuesday at a lift station, according to Kenosha County Parks.
According to the county, Old Settlers, Hoag Park, PHLA and North Shore Association beaches are all closed.
"I think that I have to go disinfect my feet now," said Katie Baker, who brings her son to the beach at Old Settlers park because of the shallow water. "That’s kind of gross."
The Village of Paddock Lake says a resident alerted them on Tuesday morning to sewer water flowing out of a manhole and into the Paddock Lake channel.
Village staff responded and later learned that a lightning strike knocked out power to the pump's control panels.
"I’m surprised to be hearing it from you first," said Jill Zoet, who moved to Paddock Lake with her husband Bob about six months ago. "Certainly gives me pause for swimming or eating any of the fish that I catch."
Thankfully, the village says no sewer water backed up into residential basements, but the village says the discharge into the lake was unavoidable.
The village brought in outside contractors to vacuum sewer water from the roads and ditches and in the future, the village says staff will monitor lift stations more closely during storms.
The beaches will remain closed until the Kenosha County Division of Health collects safe water samples.
Beach conditions are posted on the Kenosha County website.
Flooding from heavy rains has caused sewage to flow into Lake Michigan in other parts of the region as well.
In Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Metro Sewerage District sent untreated sewage into rivers that flow into Lake Michigan for the first time in two years.
