I have a story in the paper today about the testing of waters at area beaches. You can find it right here.

Basically, the state doesn't mandate the testing of waters at any inland beaches. It's left to the counties. Some counties test regularly. Others occasionally. Some don't test at all.

So you have the case of Rolling View Beach on Falls Lake, which is in Durham County which doesn't test at all. And then there are Sandling and Beaverdam beaches in Wake County, which do test weekly during the swim season. Both have been closed for periods since May because of high bacteria levels.

Wake County also tests private beaches, including Silver Lake on Tryon Road, which was closed several days in June for bacteria, but has been clean since then. Silver Lake's president told me swans and swan decoys have helped to cut down on geese and made the water cleaner.

In my reporting, I found that Chatham County and Jordan Lake officials test Jordan's beaches about every other week during the swim season. Chatham County doesn't test any private beaches there.

Larry Sullivan, Johnston County's environmental health director, said the only beach they'd test would be Tucker Lake near Benson and they'd only do that if they heard complaints. A woman hung up on me when I called Tucker Lake to ask them about any water quality testing and my phone message wasn't returned.

What do you think? Should there be a more regular testing program required for all beaches? Or is that a government program that's not necessary?