Beware of wash water

Wednesday, May 28, 1997 | 10:48 a.m.

The National Park Service has posted six signs warning people to avoid contact with Las Vegas Wash water that might be contaminated from bacteria or toxic chemicals.

The signs warn people to stay away from the waters running from the Northshore Road bridge to the mouth of Las Vegas Bay. The warnings in English and Spanish came after high levels of bacteria were measured in the Las Vegas Wash.

The wash collects runoff from the valley, sewage treatment plants and groundwater streams as well as floodwaters after storms.

Environmental laws have been in place since the 1980s prohibiting people from contact with the water west of the Las Vegas Bay Campground, said Bill Burke, water quality branch chief for the Park Service.

But signs have never been posted, although fecal coliform and streptoccocus counts were higher than normal at 19 of 26 monitoring stations within the last year.

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