October 17, 2008

So, we're sure your momma told you not to pee in the swimming pool--but did she also tell you it's bad to pee in a lake? Down in Australia, the beautiful Basin Lake on Fraser Island

off Queensland isn't doing well these days, and one of the causes is high levels of urine in the water.

The official word is that too many tourists are using the lake as a toilet and that's led the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service to consider closing one of the access tracks to reduce visitor numbers.

Right now 35,000 people visit the lake every year and since there's no in- or outflow from the lake, whatever goes in, stays in. Our alternative suggestion is to simply stick up a big notice advertising the current urine levels in the lake. We're fairly sure most people would skip the swim.