The Madison Common Council on Nov. 11 adopted a floor amendment to fund a small, county‑matched E. coli source‑testing pilot for one beach. The amendment was presented as budget‑neutral to the overall operating budget and contingent on available underspending in city‑only accounts by June 1, 2026.

Public Health staff told members that routine testing currently identifies only whether E. coli is present (a closure flag) but not the biological source. Source‑testing requires a laboratory able to perform microbial source tracking so that mitigation can be tailored to human, avian or ruminant contributors.

President Vittiver (recorded in transcript as the sponsor speaking to the amendment) explained the pilot would match Dane County testing and help develop mitigation strategies when beaches close due to contamination.

The amendment was moved, seconded and recorded as adopted without objection.

Next steps assigned Public Health to identify a qualified lab, coordinate with county partners and implement the pilot if city under‑spending is available by the June 1, 2026 deadline.