Water Lab Results
Town Beach is open for swimming beginning Saturday, May 25, 2024.
Purchase day or season passes online:
Day passes are available at the beach gate.
The water in the Town Beach Swimming Area of Lake Cochituate is tested once per week during marked season dates.
Typically on Mondays, the Health Department sends water samples to a lab to test for E. Coli or Enterococci. The state threshold for safe swimming is maximum 235 CFU/100ml or geometric mean of 5 recent samples >126 cfu/100ml. The threshold for safe swimming is maximum 70,000 cells/ml for cyanobacteria. Typically our beach and swim area test in the single digits for E. Coli - well below the safety threshold. If the results would ever reach the threshold, we have protocols to close the beach until the levels return to normal.
For prior year lab results click here.
Additional info on algae can be found at http://www.mass.gov/dph/algae
Call the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) with questions: (617) 624-5757
2024 Lab Results
| TEST DATE | Cyanobacteria (MAX 70,000 cells/mL) | E.COLI (MAX 235 CFU/100mL) | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 15, 2024 | 5 & <5 CFU/100mL | ok | |
| May 20, 2024 | <5 & <5 CFU/100mL | ok | |
| May 28, 2024 | |||
| June 3, 2024 | |||
| June 10, 2024 | |||
| June 17, 2024 | |||
| June 24, 2024 | |||
| July 1, 2024 | |||
| July 8, 2024 | |||
| July 15, 2024 | |||
| July 22, 2024 | |||
| July 29, 2024 | |||
| August 5, 2024 | |||
| August 12, 2024 | |||
| August 19, 2024 | |||
| August 26, 2024 | |||
| September 3, 2024 | |||
| September 9, 2024 |
PFAS Analysis: MDPH Bureau of Climate and Environmental Health's Environmental Toxicology Program conducted collected water samples at Lake Cochituate in March and April 2024 to determine whether per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) levels exceed a level of concern for swimming. The results of this sampling effort indicate that PFAS is present, however, the waterbody are considered safe for swimming. 7.4 ng/l for pFOS which is below MDPH's maximum level of concern value of 90 ng/L. (May 2024)
More Info: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/pfas-and-swimming
PCBS: MDPH Bureau of Climate and Environmental Health's Environmental Toxicology Program had issued a fish advisory for all ponds of Lake Cochituate in Framingham, Natick and Wayland.
| Lake Cochituate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Population | Sensitive | General |
| Final MDPH Guidance | Advisory: Do not eat any fish | Advisory: Do not eat American eel (PCBs); Limit all other fish t o1 meal / 2 months |
More Info: https://www.mass.gov/lists/fish-consumption-advisories
Contact the MDPH Beach Team, dph-beach@mass.gov if you any have questions.
Wayland Town Beach is permitted to operate a bathing beach by the Local Board of Health. Please note that the beach is not monitored for bacteria outside of the posted season date range.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
 2024 Beach Brochure | 2.16 MB |