Update 4:30 p.m. Friday Sept. 11: Advisories have been lifted for Pender, Onslow, Carteret and Currituck counties. The advisory for Dare County remains in effect.
Swimming advisories and alerts were posted in several sound and ocean swimming sites in five North Carolina counties.
State environmental health officials found bacteria levels in the water that exceed the state and Environmental Protection Agency’s recreational water quality standards.
Storm water runoff after this week’s heavy rains is thought to be the cause of contamination, according to a news release from the North Carolina Division of Environmental Health. Floodwaters and storm water runoff may contain pollutants such as waste from septic systems, sewer line break, pets and wildlife. Petroleum products and other chemicals also can be found when homes and businesses have been flooded.
An advisory was issued at the Southern Shores private soundside access in Dare County, and swimming alerts were issued at the bath house near Woods Road in Kitty Hawk and the beach access at Sportsman Drive in Kill Devil Hills and the Corolla ramp at the end of the beach access road in Corolla, the release said.
Advisories and alerts also were issued in Onslow, Carteret and Pender counties.
State officials will test the areas again and remove signs and notify the public when the bacteria levels decrease to levels below the state and federal standards.
Environmental health officials sample 240 sites throughout the coastal region on a weekly basis from April through October. Testing continues on a reduced schedule during the rest of the year when the waters are colder.
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Google
Yahoo
